Who is the Greatest Thief?
by Dark-Angel-Shui-17
Summary: Daisuke is feeling a little depressed. Risa and Riku have moved away, Krad is trying to kill him, Satoshi is trying to put his alter ego in jail...he needs a break. Then three more problems enter his life...
1. Lost Loves

_**Who is the Greatest Thief?**_

_**Chapter 1—Lost Loves**_

_Okay, new story time! (Unenthusiastic cheers from behind) :WHACK: (Slightly more enthusiastic cheering from behind)_

_It all started something like this (a scene between me and several muses):_

_Kiki: Okay, so who wants to help me write a new story?_

_:cricket cricket:_

_Kev: What _kind_ of story?_

_Kiki: A D.N.Angel fic where Meg, Akkiko and I are art thieves just like Dark!_

_:cricket, cricket:_

_Dorin: Wonder how he's going to react to that?_

_Kiki: WAAH! (T.T) Can't one of you help me in the SLIGHTEST?_

_Muses: No!_

_Kiki: Help. . . (Was blown over by force of 'No') :stands up: Okay, FINE! I'll write it myself!_

_(Sits down at computer, looking determined)_

_:five hours later:_

_Drake: Are you still at it?_

_Kiki: WAH! (T.T)_

_Yes, another self-insertion. Please don't shoot me. _

_(Random Author's note: Because of the . . . erm . . . material that's eventually going to happen ;; you are to assume that the ages of the characters are . . . slightly adjusted. In other words, Daisuke, Satoshi, etc. are about sixteen years old, and in grade eleven; Dark and Krad look. . .eighteen? Nineteen? Twenty-ish?)_

_(Another random author's note:_

_: . . . : single colons in italics denote Dark mind-speaking_

'_. . .' single quotations in italics denote Daisuke mind-speaking_

_Easy, right?)_

* * *

Phantom Thief Dark . . . the greatest_ thief in all Asia . . . no one can beat him . . ._

Those were the things the papers always said first thing in the morning. Everyone in Japan knew of the mysterious burglar, who was said to have black wings, who was said to disappear without a trace every time, who was said to be uncatchable. . .

The greatest thief? Perhaps.

_But what if there came along those that were greater . . . ?_

* * *

Daisuke came into school, grabbed his indoor shoes, and made his way to homeroom. Dropping his bag beside his desk, he collapsed into it, looking depressed.

His eyes drifted over to two empty desks in the corner of the classroom. Those were two desks that wouldn't fill up when the bell rang. They weren't coming back . . . not for a long time.

_:flashback:_

"Um . . . Daisuke?" Daisuke turned to see Risa and Riku standing, blushing, with downcast eyes.

"Hey, girls," he said, blinking in confusion. "Ah . . . what's up?"

Risa looked and Riku and stepped forward hesitantly. "Um . . . well . . . we . . . Riku and I decided that you should be the first to know, Daisuke!"

"We're . . . that is . . . our family is moving." Riku bit her lip. "Our father is getting transferred to Hong Kong . . . we'll be leaving in a week. . ."

Daisuke felt something inside of him drop. It was about the size of a boulder.

"You're . . . leaving? For how long?"

"We don't know." Risa looked him in the eye. "But we just wanted to let you know—we still want to talk to you! We still want to be friends—"

"Good friends," Riku added. "And. . .I mean, long-distance relationships are never easy, but. . .you know, with internet and snail mail, we could make it work!"

Daisuke forced his face into a smile and scratched the back of his head nonchalantly. "Yeah—we'll be penpals. That'll be great! And—" He gave them a true smile. "I know you girls will make loads of friends at your new school."

Risa and Riku smiled and both gave off sighs of relief. "We knew you'd understand Daisuke."

"Yeah," he chuckled. "That's me."

_:end flashback:_

_:That's me. . .:_

Daisuke suddenly sat up ramrod straight. _'Dark?'_

_:You're an idiot, you know. They leave, and all you can say is "let's be penpals?":_

'_Like I had a choice. What did you want me to do, kidnap them and lock them in the basement?'_

_:Hmm, maybe not, but you could have done something! Something other than—:_

"Hey, Daisuke!" Takeshi suddenly clapped Daisuke on the shoulder, and shoved a paper under his nose. "Did you read the article on Dark?"

Daisuke sweatdropped. It was morning ritual in his class for Takeshi to yak on and on about Dark—Daisuke cringed to think about the day that he found out his best friend actually _was_ the Phantom Thief Dark.

. . .Well, in a matter of speaking. . .

The bell rang, cutting off both Takeshi's rant and Dark's obvious pouting. Daisuke was left to brood in his math class.

Daisuke glanced over at the window; Satoshi was sitting, reading a book. Lucky guy barely even had to pay attention in class. Daisuke held back a sigh; Satoshi definitely knew about Dark, not to mention he now had Krad to worry about. When did life get so complicated again?

Daisuke was definitely at rock bottom. Risa and Riku, his first loves, were gone; Krad wanted to kill him; Satoshi wanted to throw his alter ego into jail; he shared his DNA with a criminal—

_:Get _over_ yourself, already: _Dark snapped.

'_What? It's true—you are a criminal.'_

_:I am not getting into this again—for the last time—:_

"Attention class!" Yutabaka-sensei, the math teacher, called out. "Can I please have your attention—Takeshi, put down that newspaper. Thank-you. Now, then, I am pleased to announce that we have three exchange students from America joining us. Ladies—"

Daisuke blinked as murmurs went around the classroom. Exchange students? This late in the year?

For some reason he looked at Satoshi; all that was between him and Daisuke was another empty desk. Satoshi seemed unaffected by the news, but through hanging out with him, Daisuke could see a flicker of interest as he pulled out a little notebook and started writing in it.

The sliding doors opened and in walked three girls, all looking like they were sixteen. The class, once again, started whispering.

The first girl that walked in had pale skin and long dark brown hair with a purple streak in it (The teacher's face twitched as he took that in). She also had piercing green eyes and a rather closed expression. She carried a courier bag, and in her hands, she had what could have been a sketchbook.

The second girl was a typical Asian girl, with black hair and slightly tanned skin, but her eyes were also an unusual color: in this case, a brilliant sea-blue. Not to mention that she stared down everyone in the class with a kind of violent, mischievous energy. Across her shoulder was a tattered backpack with several pins and stickers.

The last girl was the tallest of the three, with reddish-copper hair and grey eyes that also stared everyone down. Daisuke almost shuddered as the temperature dropped a few degrees. Obviously not a people person. She carried a brand-new bag, very fashionable.

"Ladies, if you could introduce yourselves?" Yutabaka asked, after writing their names on the board.

The girls looked at each other with cynical expressions, and the whole class sweatdropped. _Why bother writing our names on the board if we're just going to tell them ourselves?_

The girl with the purple streak stepped forward. "Konnichiwa; my name is Korazuma Shido. I'm very pleased to meet you." She bowed slightly to the class, who all blinked. As she stepped back, her closed expression did not change.

The blue-eyed Japanese girl stepped forward. "My name's Ginryu Uujou; I was in the same class as Korazuma in America, and I would just like to warn you that I am completely insane!"

Korazuma sighed and smacked Ginryu upside the head; the class sweatdropped again.

The grey-eyed girl stepped forward. "I'm Aiko Tatari; I was also in the same class as Kora-chan and Gin-chan, and I would like to second Gin-chan's announcement—she is crazy. We all are."

This time, even the teacher sweatdropped. "Well, um . . . that was a very interesting introduction, ladies," he said, wiping his brow. "Now, then, Uujou, Tatari, you'll be taking the two desks at the front. . ."

Daisuke held back a sigh as the two girls sat down. _Risa and Riku's desks . . ._

"And Shido, you'll be sitting at the back, between Daisuke Niwa and Satoshi Hiwatari."

Daisuke looked at the desk to his left; he stood up and smiled. "It's this one, Shido-san," he said cheerfully, as the girl made her way towards it. She nodded at him and sat down.

Daisuke also sat down and watched the three new students out of the corner of his eye as the class proceeded. They kept their heads down, did the work, and when Yutabaka-sensei went into a totally unrelated tangent, Ginryu and Aiko talked in low voices at the front. Korazuma opened what was indeed a sketchbook and began doodling in it.

When the lesson was finally over, the class started buzzing with the usual gossip-filled conversations, with no few glances at the new girls. Ginryu and Aiko sat up on their desks and called over to Korazuma. The girl stood up; unfortunately, her hand knocked her sketchbook and it fell to the floor, scattering pieces of paper all over the place.

Daisuke stood up as Korazuma bent down, blushing. "Sorry," she muttered, grabbing the papers hurriedly.

Daisuke shook his head. "No problem," he said, gathering the papers also. "Here you go—" He was about to hand her the stack of papers when he happened to glance down at one drawing.

It was Dark. Dark, flying across the moonlit sky, his black wings stretched and yet still scattered with stars. The Phantom Thief's face was slightly turned away from the viewer, and the whole thing was shaded in perfectly, with a single word etched in the bottom corner:

_Freedom._

"Ah—" Daisuke stared until Korazuma gently took the stack from him. "Um . . . that's a . . . really good drawing . . . you're really talented."

"Thanks," she said, putting them back in her sketchbook.

"Excuse me," said a voice behind her. It was Satoshi. "I believe this also belongs to you."

Daisuke looked around Korazuma's shoulder at the picture. His eyes widened. This time the picture was of Krad—white wings spread with the setting sun in the background; his long hair partially covering his face, which was turned to the viewer, his eyes staring, piercing, with another word in the top corner:

_Judgement._

"It is a very nice drawing," Satoshi said, bringing Daisuke back to this dimension. "May I ask where the inspiration came from, Shido-san?"

Korazuma was silent for several minutes as she took hold of the drawing, but Satoshi didn't let go. ". . . Well, it will sound silly to you, but I get my ideas for my drawings from . . . dreams." She stopped, blushing, as if waiting for Daisuke and Satoshi to start laughing.

Satoshi let go of the drawing. "Interesting," he said, and sat down. As Korazuma made her way to Ginryu and Aiko, Daisuke watched both her and Satoshi. In the meantime, Dark was going nuts.

_:How the hell did that girl draw such a picture of me! It's like she took it out of real life—like she was watching me fly as she drew it! But she just moved to Japan, right? So how—:_

'_Personally, I'm more worried about how Krad feels about his picture,'_ Daisuke thought, looking over at Satoshi. He was faced away from Daisuke, looking out the window. '_I don't think either of them bought Shido-san's story about it coming from her dreams.'_

_:Hmph. Suspicious bastards. I believe her. . . . .Although I still don't like it:_

Daisuke sighed and tuned in to what Takeshi was saying at the front of the classroom—yet another rant on Phantom Thief Dark. Whoopee.

"Who is this guy?" rang out another voice. It was Ginryu Uujou.

Takeshi stared at her. "You don't know! Phantom Thief Dark is the greatest thief in all of Asia! I wouldn't be surprised if he was the greatest thief in the entire world!"

Ginryu grabbed the paper from his hand and scanned it. "Hah—the greatest art thief in the entire world—just because he's never been caught? He wouldn't last long in America . . . probably just another smoke-and-mirrors wannabe trying to play with the big boys."

Takeshi went red. Mentally, so did Dark. And poor Daisuke was left to try and tune both of them out.

When the bell rang, signalling the end of the period, Korazuma, Ginryu and Aiko were almost the first ones out the door, except—

"Shido! Come here for a moment, please."

Korazuma stopped and went up to Yutabaka's desk, face unreadable.

"I am very pleased to have you in my class; however, I cannot atone for that hideous streak in your hair. It totally goes against school rules; therefore, I must ask you to dye it out by tomorrow."

"But sensei—" Korazuma absently touched the purple streak. "I . . . I like it. It makes me an individual."

"Be an individual some other way," he said hotly. "I want it gone by tomorrow, otherwise it's study halls until the end of the year."

Korazuma sighed. "Yes sensei—"

"But sensei!" Aiko suddenly popped up on Korazuma's shoulder. "Kora-chan's hair looks awesome with the streak, and after all, my hair's a weird color too—"

"But your hair color is natural, Tatari. Rules are rules."

"Excuse me, Sensei." Yutabaka and the two girls jumped as Satoshi came up behind them. "I believe you should allow Shido-san to keep her hair as it is. After all, everyone knows you dye your hair all the time." Everyone's eyes went to Yutabaka's greasy-looking dark brown hair. Now that he mentioned it. . .

As the silence that ensued dragged on, Satoshi walked out of the classroom.

The teacher blubbered a bit. "I . . . that's—ahem!" he wiped his brow with a handkerchief. "Very well, Shido, you may keep that streak—for the time being." His eyes snapped to the back of the room. "Niwa! Get to class!"

"Y-yes, Sensei," Daisuke said, gathering up his books and hurrying out of class, followed by Aiko and Korazuma.

"Hey," he said to Korazuma. "He's not so bad, Yutabaka-sensei, that is; once he gets used to you, he won't mind what color your hair is."

Korazuma nodded. "Thank-you, um . . ."

"Oh! My name's Daisuke! Daisuke Niwa. It's a pleasure to meet you, Shido-san."

"Oh, please, just call me Kora. It's much easier."

"You can call me Ai-chan!" Aiko said, resting her arms on Korazuma's shoulders. "Nice to meet you, Daisuke-kun."

"Yes, well, I'll see you in class—"

"Wait. That other boy . . . the one who helped me . . . his name is Satoshi, right?" Korazuma asked.

"Yeah, Satoshi Hiwatari. Why?"

"I want to thank him for helping me out."

"Daisuke!" The three all looked to see Takeshi running towards his friend, a mini-radio in hand. "I just heard that a note has been delivered to the Hakashito Museum—tonight, at ten o'clock, Phantom Thief Dark is going to steal the Diamond Vial of Venus!"

"Ah . . . that's . . . great, Takeshi," Daisuke said, sweatdropping. His mother had dropped another note . . . perfect.

He turned back to Aiko and Korazuma, to find the both of them gone.

* * *

"So, how's tonight at ten?"

"That's when Phantom Thief Dark is supposed to grab it."

"Okay, then—nine fifty-five."

"That'll work."

"Why are we stealing another thief's target? It doesn't seem very honourable."

"Honour among thieves? Oh, please. . ."

"Anyways, it's not like we're _just _stealing his target. This 'Great Thief' needs to learn he's got some competition—and besides, it'd be rude not to introduce ourselves."

"Introduce ourselves. Right."

"Then tonight at nine-fifty-five. The Hakashito Museum. The Diamond Vial of Venus. Shouldn't be too hard."

"Not for us, at any rate."

"Right."

* * *

_And . . . that's it! Yay! Okay, first chapter complete . . . The real fun begins in chapter two—Bwahahaha!_

_And as a side note, I'll probably be drawing the two sketches mentioned in this chapter (one of Dark and one of Krad); they'll just be for fun, but if they're good enough, I may put them up on the internet (since my friend Rae now has a working scanner which I shamelessly use for my own work) ;;_

_Disclaimer: I do not own D.N.Angel, any of its characters, etc. I do not gain any profit from this story, and this story is for entertainment value only. _


	2. Competition

_**Who is the Greatest Thief?**_

_**Chapter 2—Competition**_

_Hello, everybody—Kiki-chan here with some last-minute pre-chapter notes!_

_First of all, this chapter—heck, this whole story— is dedicated to Akkiko, whom, as of March 26, I have known for two years! (Didn't know that, did ya, Akkiko? )_

_Yes, it was two years ago Saturday that we met. She tried to drown me. In a swimming pool. At band camp (no, I will _not_ give it a rest, Akkiko) _

_Anyways, hope you enjoy the chapter—I already have the next one planned out, it's just a case of writing it out. Unfortunately, if I don't work on Okaeri Nasai (one of my Inu-yasha fics), Lily-chan will me ;;_

_Later days:runs off to type chapters:_

* * *

"Is everything ready?"

Police Inspector Saehara turned to see Commander Satoshi Hiwatari scrutinizing him and held back a sigh.

"Yes, sir. All security measures are in place for tonight." The Inspector looked at his watch. "It's nine fifty-three right now. We should expect Dark in eight minutes."

"Very good," Satoshi said, looking around the security room. He held back a sigh as well; tonight would probably be yet another victory for Dark. He hated working with incompetents. But there was nothing he could do; his father wouldn't listen to him.

"It seems that things are taken care of on the ground level," Satoshi continued. "I'm going to check upstairs one last time."

"Sir, would you like an officer to accompany you?" Inspector Saehara asked.

"That will not be necessary," Satoshi said. "Just make sure your men stay alert." And he was gone.

Saehara grimaced. Every night. Every single night—that kid would boss him and his officers around. Every single night Dark would come in and somehow—_somehow_—get by every piece of security, every man, and then disappear with the art piece, which was never seen again.

That was one thing that really bothered him. Every stolen piece never appeared on the internet or the black market—what could Dark be doing with them? Storing them in the basement of his house?

Saehara chuckled. That was, of course, absurd.

"Inspector!" one of his officers suddenly shouted. Saehara jumped and turned; his eyes landed on a small cylindrical canister that had appeared out of no where and was now rolling along the floor. As it stopped, a small red light flashed on each end of the canister. On, off, on, off, faster and faster—

"Get down!" Saehara shouted as a loud beeping began accompanying the flashing light; however, the canister did not explode. The ends popped off, and a barely-visible vapour began permeating around the room.

Saehara fell to the floor, as did the rest of his men. As he slowly slipped out of consciousness, he looked to the monitors on the wall of the room; all over the museum officers were dropping to the ground.

"D-Dark?" he whispered as he slipped into darkness. No. . .this wasn't Dark's style. . .at all. . .

A figure jumped from the air vent and landed gracefully, striding over to the computer.

"You two okay?" she spoke, tapping away at the keys.

"Yes, we're fine." Another female voice spoke into her earpiece. "The canisters worked like a charm—all the guards are unconscious."

"Perfect." The figure hit a few more keys, and there were several buzzing noises. "There. The lasers and alarms have been deactivated. Hurry and move the guards into the shadows."

Two voices spoke at once into her earpiece. "Roger."

* * *

Dark descended, gracefully touching down on the roof of the Hakashito Museum. He looked around; there had been no reporters outside, or guards. He was so used to his break-ins being public—oh well.

He bent down to peer at a skylight that opened into the lobby of the museum. He grinned; it was so easy to overlook a measly skylight, and he knew that it wouldn't have an alarm on it.

As Dark strode down the long, dark corridors of the museum, he felt his grin fade. No alarms, no wires, no lasers, no guards. . .it was beginning to freak him out, how easy it all was. As he entered the room where the Vial of Venus was being kept, Dark stopped.

_This isn't right,_ he thought. _It's so obviously a trap. . .I should expect Krad or Satoshi to jump out any minute._

Despite his better judgement, Dark continued into the room; he went up to the stand that had the Vial of Venus on it—and grabbed thin air. "What the—"

"Good evening." Dark turned and saw Satoshi leaning against a wall. He had just arrived. "So, Dark. . .I see you've already taken the vial."

_He doesn't have it? Then who. . ._ "Well, obviously," Dark said, smirking. "Who else would have stolen it?"

"Indeed." Satoshi pushed himself off the wall and began walking towards him. "And I can see you've already shut down the security systems and incapacitated the guards . . . impressive."

Dark felt alarm bells going off in his head. _He's not kidding. The security was all here, but someone got here before me and turned it all off . . . who!_

"Almost too impressive," Satoshi continued. "Even for the great Phantom Thief Dark. Are you sure you have the vial?"

Dark gritted his teeth. "Of course I have it!"

Laughter came from a far way off. "Funny you should say you have it," a mocking voice rang out, "when it appears the treasure is in _my_ hands."

Satoshi and Dark both turned to look above the stand where the vial was supposed to be; out of the shadows came a figure.

She appeared to be about eighteen years old, same as Dark or Krad, and she had long black hair with silver streaks. Blue eyes shot with silver sparkled with mirth as she studied the two below her; she was clad all in black, with a black mask covering half of her face, and from her back sprouted bat-like wings. In her hand was a small vial that sparkled in the moonlight.

"Who the hell are you?" Dark snapped; he was so pissed off at someone getting the art piece before him that he didn't even attempt to be gallant.

"Call me Akkiko," said the woman. "The demonchild. And your new competition, Phantom Thief Dark."

Dark glared. "What do you mean competition? This is serious business. . .it's nothing a little girl like you should be playing at."

A vein twitched in Akkiko's temple. "Watch it. Just remember, I'm the one who got to this thing before you." She flicked at the Vial of Venus. "Now then—" She slipped back into the shadows. "Catch me if you can."

A form shot out and raced down the hall to Dark's right. He sighed in irritation and raced after the form.

Satoshi was left to stare after him. _Dark, you truly are foolish,_ he thought. _You don't even know it that is the one with the art piece._

He heard a thump and turned just in time to see another form racing down another hallway. He followed it; obviously this Akkiko had brought a decoy to throw off Dark.

As the main hall of the museum emptied, and the footsteps of Satoshi trailed off, a third form emerged from the shadows and settled down on the stand meant for the Vial of Venus.

"Well," Akkiko said, laughing. "That went better than I thought it would." She reached into a pouch on the belt around her waist, and drew out a false diamond vial. Placing it on the stand, she flew up to the skylight and opened it. Jumping onto the roof, Akkiko took off into the air, murmuring, "Too easy."

* * *

Dark ran after the person he thought was Akkiko; it occurred to him after he left the room that it might _not_ be, but ignored that little voice (which was Daisuke, of course) and continued after the figure, who ran up and down the corridors of the museum, trying to lose him. Dark, however, was not that easily shaken.

He followed the figure into a windowless room; there was only one way in or out. Dark felt his chances increase as he approached the figure, who hadn't turned to face him.

"Yo," Dark said, less than five feet away. "By any chance, would you have—"

Before he could finish, the figure back-stepped several paces before crouching down and launching herself into the air. Flipping over Dark, she landed gracefully, and cart-wheeled until she stood in the doorway of the room, poised to continue running.

But she lingered for several seconds, teasing the Phantom thief, who could see the Vial shine from her hand.

_So much for being nice to girls, _Dark thought. "Who the hell are you?" he asked for a second time that evening. He thought of Akkiko, with her bat-wings; at least this one _looked_ human. "Give me the Vial of Venus now."

The female turned to him, silver eyes shot with gold sparkling with humour. Reddish hair streaked with gold tumbled down her back, and she was dressed in black, with a mask that covered the bottom part of her face.

"My name's Kitsune, the sorceress. And maybe this is the real Diamond Vial of Venus. But then, maybe it's not." She made a gesture and the vial fell to the floor and shattered. "Oops. . ."

Dark glared. "Is that all you can say?" he shouted. "How dare you just destroy it like that!"

Kitsune's eyes widened. "You really are gullible, you know?" she said, all humour gone from her voice and eyes. "Do you really think diamond would break that easily? That vial wasn't the real thing. Maybe Akkiko still has it. Or Tenshi. . ."

"Tenshi?" Dark was really starting to get pissed off. "There're three of you?"

"Maybe. Later." Kitsune sped off, tapestries fluttering in the sudden breeze. Dark gritted his teeth and hurried after her.

_I don't know what the hell's going on,_ he thought. _But if I stay on this one I might just be able to retrieve the vial after all. _

That was what he thought as he continued after Kitsune. He thought he passed Satoshi, but paid him no heed. If the kid wanted to chase him, that was his business.

* * *

Satoshi stopped as two forms zipped past him. One just happened to be Dark, the first indistinguishable. He sighed and figured he had better follow Dark. That was what he was supposed to be doing, after all.

He began racing down another hallway (the museum truly was like a maze) and finally stopped when he heard something from a separate room. Keeping his guard up, Satoshi glanced in; he saw a pair of black wings belonging to someone who was panting heavily.

Something was wrong; Dark didn't tire that easily. But maybe these new thieves were in a different class; maybe they were good enough to make even the Phantom Thief tired. Either way, Satoshi knew he had to take a chance.

That was what he thought when he went up the pair of wings, grabbed one, and pulled back hard. As the person fell to the floor, Satoshi threw himself on top of him, and pinned his hands above his head, just as he had when he and Dark had first met.

"Dark—" he began as he forced the person down, but stopped when 'Dark' let loose an "Oww!" in a very feminine voice.

Satoshi found himself staring down at a girl. Her black wings were spread out beneath her, and long silver hair pooled over them and over her face. Green eyes shot with silver stared up at Satoshi, surprised. She was dressed all in black, just like Akkiko, with a mask that went across her eyes.

"Uh. . ." she started, blushing. "Could you get off of me?"

"Who are you?" Satoshi asked. "What are you doing here?"

"I'm Tenshi, the dark angel. And why I'm here is none of your business."

And then she brought her knee up. . .which connected in a very uncomfortable place. Satoshi keeled over, gasping. Tenshi straightened and looked at him apologetically.

"I'm sorry," she said, like she meant it. "But I can't have you capturing me my first night in town. It just wouldn't look good." She stood and began to walk away. "Oh, yeah, could you please replace this where it's supposed to go?" Satoshi looked up and saw Tenshi place the Diamond Vial of Venus on a table. "We weren't really going to steal it. This was just a test to see how good Dark is. I'll have to meet up with Akkiko and Kitsune to see if he passed the test. In the meantime, I would be grateful if you put this back.

"Until next we meet."

And with that, Tenshi spread her wings and in a whirl of wind, was gone.

* * *

Meanwhile, Dark was still chasing after Kitsune. Once or twice he thought he had lost her, but then she would laugh from the shadows behind him and they would be off again.

Swearing, Dark continued following her. He finally stopped in a circular room, hallways branching off in several directions. He spotted Kitsune sitting on top of a statue.

"Aww," she said. "Getting tired, Phantom Thief Dark?"

"Naw," Dark answered, pushing back his sweaty hair. "Not even winded."

"You know, this whole chase scene is starting to bore me."

"I was just thinking the same thing." He smiled winningly. "Why don't you call your friends and we'll have a little chat? I'm sure this can all get sorted out."

Kitsune laughed. "Not a chance, Dark-chan." She unclipped a small vial attached to her earring and threw in into the air. It exploded in mid-air, and Dark shielded himself against the sudden flurry of smoke and sparkles that smelt of flowers.

"Until next we meet."

Dark coughed as the smoke cleared; Kitsune was gone.

* * *

In a side alley across the street from the museum, Akkiko waited expectantly. She smiled as Kitsune dropped down from above her.

"So, what did you think of Phantom Thief Dark?" she asked.

"Slow," Kitsune laughed. "Or maybe he was just flirting with me; he has the look of a womanizer."

"With that face, it doesn't surprise me." Akkiko removed her mask, blushing a little. Kitsune's face split into a grin as she, too, removed her mask.

"You have a crush on him!"

"I do not—"

"Hello, ladies." Kitsune and Akkiko looked up as Tenshi dropped down. Folding her wings, the dark angel removed her mask, sighing.

"So, where's the Vial?" Akkiko asked eagerly, glad that the subject had moved off of her. "I already placed the false one; they won't realize until weeks from now."

"And I. . .er. . .broke my false vial, just to confuse Dark." Kitsune cocked her head. "He was really angry when I did it though. . .he must have an antique art fetish or something."

Akkiko rolled her eyes. "Art is treasure in more ways than one," she said. "So anyways, where is it?"

"Well. . ." Tenshi avoided her friends' eyes, curling a piece of hair on her finger. "I . . . don't have it."

"WHAT?" Kitsune and Akkiko slapped their hands to their mouths and glared at Tenshi. "Why not? What happened?"

"I. . .ran into someone who. . . .I mean. . . .I gave it back okay?" Tenshi blushed with embarrassment. "Look, it wasn't even going to be a regular target—we don't need it, so what's the problem?"

"You ran into someone. . . ." Akkiko blinked. "You mean that Satoshi guy?"

"Guys, maybe we better go somewhere else to discuss this." Kitsune nodded at the two of them. "Let's go."

Akkiko and Tenshi nodded; the three of them stood in a circle, and raised one of their hands. On each girl's hand was a ring; the ring itself was made of three silver bands, linked together. The rings began to glow, and the glow spread until it consumed the demon, the dark angel and the sorceress. Their forms shimmered and shrank, until it appeared that there were three high school girls in the alley instead of three supernatural art thieves.

Ginryu Uujou, code name Akkiko, shot a glare at her friend. "Start talking."

Korazuma Shido, code name Tenshi, furrowed her eyebrows. "I just decided to hand it off to Satoshi so he could put the vial back, okay?"

Aiko Tatari, code name Kitsune, patted Ginryu's shoulder. "Don't worry about; our little Kora-chan's just got a crush on Satoshi-kun, and she let it spread to her alter-ego."

Korazuma went red; so did Ginryu. "You have a crush on that guy?" she spluttered. "Don't you realize he's a cop?"

"Oh, let it go, Gin-chan," Aiko commented. "After all, you can't really talk."

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"Oh please; Dark really insulted you back there, calling you a little girl and saying you don't belong in the art thief business—you let it slide. If anyone else had said it, you totally would have kicked his ass."

Korazuma hid a smile. "She's right, you know."

Ginryu crossed her arms. "Whatever. Let's get home."

Korazuma and Aiko smiled at each other; they linked arms with Ginryu as all three exited the alleyway.

"You know you love us, Gin-chan."

"Tolerate. I _tolerate_ you."

* * *

Satoshi made his way back into the main hall where the Diamond Vial of Venus was supposed to go. As he walked up to the stand, he blinked in surprise. There was a vial already there. Picking it up, he studied it carefully.

Even it the weak light, his trained eyes could tell it was a fake. Satoshi dropped it to the floor, watching it shatter. Obviously Akkiko or this Kitsune whom he hadn't seen yet had placed it here. Then Tenshi had given him the real one.

_Why would one girl put a fake vial here when another one gave me the real vial?_ he thought as he placed the Vial of Venus on the display stand. _Why, if she is part of a group, would she make such a decision on her own?_

He didn't get it. As Satoshi turned and began to walk away from the stand, something zipped from the shadows behind him and jumped over the stand. Spinning around, Satoshi saw the vial was gone, and Dark was landing gracefully, his wings already out.

"Really, Satoshi," he said, amused. "Dropping your guard that easily? For shame."

Leaping into the air, Dark burst through the already-open skylight and was gone.

Satoshi watched the Phantom Thief fade from sight, and sighed. Another failure for him. But then again, he had three more things to worry about.

Pulling out his cell, Satoshi called an ambulance. Whatever the guards had breathed in, they were still knocked out all over the museum.

* * *

Dark landed on a building several blocks away from the museum. He sat down, looking at the Vial of Venus.

He took a deep breath in, thinking back to what had happened in the museum. He had been about to grab the Vial when Satoshi had come in; but that Vial had been a fake, just like the one Kitsune had teased him with.

"Why would they have done all this, just to return the real Vial?" he said aloud.

'_Maybe they just wanted to make a splash,'_ Daisuke said inside his head. _'They just wanted to let you know they were here—like they said, they're your competition.'_

"Yeah, which means they're going to be a real thorn in my side," Dark grumbled as he leapt into an alley. "As if we didn't have enough to deal with."

'_Aw, it'll be okay.'_ Daisuke, ever cheerful. _'After all, you're Phantom Thief Dark.'_

Dark snorted, smiling despite himself. "True, true. . ."

_:Even so:_ he thought as he and Daisuke switched places. _:I'm worried. Where did these three come from? Will they go after my other targets:_

"Who knows," Daisuke said, beginning to run home. "Maybe we'll find out tomorrow."

_:Yeah:_ Dark said, stretching within Daisuke's mind. _:Tomorrow. I'll worry about it tomorrow.:_

_

* * *

_

_There's chapter two! Hope you enjoyed it—don't forget to review! _

_Disclaimer—I do not own D.N.Angel or any of its characters and/or settings. I do own any made-up settings, and the OC characters. _


	3. So Much for Secret Identities

_**Who is the Greatest Thief?**_

**_Chapter 3—So Much for Secret Identities_**

_This chapter is dedicated to_ kyo's little koneko _for their reviews—you are totally right, three against one isn't fair. . .but that doesn't mean it's not fun! _

_Note:_

'_. . .' is Daisuke speaking to Dark_

_:. . .: is Dark speaking to Daisuke_

_---_

Daisuke's day began like any other day—with him wondering just _why_ he was friends with Takeshi Saehara.

"Dark will pay for this," Takeshi cried, striking a dramatic pose with clenched fists. Daisuke could practically see the flames of determination crackling behind him.

"Maybe you should chill out, Takeshi," Daisuke suggested soothingly. "Maybe Dark's not to blame." He instantly regretted saying this as his friend turned on him.

"What are you talking about, don't blame Dark? Who else could be to blame?" Takeshi loomed over Daisuke, suspicion plain on his features. "What do you know?"

"Ah—" Daisuke fumbled for an excuse. "All I'm saying is that Dark doesn't hurt people, he just. . .steals stuff." Thankfully Dark was sleeping in Daisuke's mind, and didn't hear that.

Takeshi continued to stare at him, then noticed Masahiro sneaking past. "Hey, Masahiro! Did you hear? My dad was attacked last night by Dark, and—"

_Sorry, Masahiro,_ Daisuke thought, running into the school to escape his maniacal friend. _I'll owe you one. _Taking a few deep breathes in front of his locker, he got the books he needed and started to head for homeroom.

Just before he turned the corner, he heard the voices of the new girls. He stopped as Ginryu said, "…can't believe how easy it was to steal the Vial of Venus. And right under Dark's nose!"

"That's the fifteenth time you've said that since last night," Korazuma's voice said with an annoyed undertone. "I've been counting."

"Whatever," Ginryu said cheerfully. "This is going to fun—Ai-chan, you've sent the e-mail, right?"

Daisuke heard Aiko grumble incoherently before saying, "Yes, I have. The e-mail is set to open five minutes before we hit the museum. Just one question, though, _Akkiko_." Daisuke almost dropped his bookbag. No. . .way.

"Ye-es?" Ginryu said in a sing-song voice.

"Why is it we have to be so flashy? I mean, sending warning notes? Or in our case, e-mails? Since when do we need the publicity?"

"Because—have you heard Takeshi? Our little act last night was blamed on Dark. Credit should go where credit is due."

"I still say we should be more cautious," Korazuma said quietly.

"You need to be more adventurous, Kora-chan!" Ginryu laughed. "I know we're in Japan on business—but let's have some fun with our work."

"I didn't think being a thief included 'fun-ness'." Korazuma sighed. Daisuke heard papers rustling. "Although from what I've read, Dark certainly has his fun. You two are made for each other, Gin." Ginryu laughed again.

Daisuke leaned against the wall, stunned. Korazuma, Aiko and Ginryu were the three thieves Dark had met last night. Then again, maybe he should have seen it coming—three new girls show up, three thieves show up. . .

"Not too hard to figure out, is it?" said a quiet voice to his left. Daisuke jumped as he looked up to find Satoshi standing beside him, also listening. The youth looked down at Daisuke, adjusting his glasses. "You'd think they'd be a little more cautious, to talk about their escapades in the school hallways, hmm?"

"I—"

"Just so you are aware, Daisuke, despite the three recent problems that have arisen, I will not be deviating from my previous goal." He fixed Daisuke with a penetrating stare. "So you should not let your guard down. You. . .and you." With that, Satoshi moved past his classmate, and turned the corner.

Korazuma looked up from the newspaper she was scanning to watch Satoshi pass. "Excuse me, Hiwatari-kun?" She hurriedly tossed the paper to Aiko, and jogged after her classmate. "I just wanted to thank-you for what you did yesterday."

Satoshi stared at her for a few moments before nodding. "No problem, Miss Shido." He leaned a little closer to her, and said in a softer tone, "In return I would appreciate it if you refrained from using such methods to keep me from apprehending you, should our paths ever cross again."

Korazuma barely kept herself from reacting to the youth's words as he turned away. She went back to Aiko and Ginryu, expression blank.

"He knows."

---

_:They're WHAT: _

Daisuke cringed as Dark's cries of outrage echoed through his psychosis. _'You heard me, Dark,'_ he said. He glanced up at Ginryu and Aiko, then over to Korazuma, who was doodling again. His eyes travelled past her to stare at Satoshi. _'Korazuma, Aiko and Ginryu are the thieves from last night. . .and Satoshi knows about them, too.'_

_:Hmph. And there's no way he's cutting us any breaks:_ Dark grumbled. _:Bastard.: _

Daisuke sighed, closing his eyes as he cradled his chin in his hands.

". . .wa-kun? Niwa-kun?" Daisuke blinked. "Earth to Niwa-kun," Korazuma said, poking him. "The bell just rang."

"Ah! Oh, um—Ack!" Daisuke knocked his notebook onto the floor. Korazuma picked it up.

"Are you okay?" she asked. "You were just sitting there looking spaced out."

"Oh, I'm just fine, thanks," Daisuke answered, laughing as he stuffed his books into his bag. "I'm, er, always zoning out like that."

"Kora-chan, c'mon!" Ginryu called from the door, standing with Aiko. Satoshi passed them at that moment, and they tracked his movement with slight hostility. Daisuke glanced at Korazuma; she had a worried glint on her otherwise blank face.

"See you later, Niwa-kun," Korazuma said, smiling at him as she hurried towards her friends.

"Uh. . .yeah," Daisuke said, belatedly waving his hand. '_That was smooth_,' he thought as he headed to his next class. '_And I thought my life was complicated yesterday.'_

_:Yeah, well—quit whining and do something about it.:_ Dark said.

'And what do you expect me to—' 

"Oy, Niwa!" A senior approached him. "I'm Watari, the student president of the yearbook committee. Could you help me for a minute?"

"Sure." Daisuke followed Watari to the next classroom. Watari waved at a series of photos on the desk.

"These are pictures from the White Day festival. We need some names—these girls are in your class, right?"

Daisuke picked it up, and his heart jerked. Ritsuko Furuda was yelling at the camera—Takeshi must have taken the picture. But behind her—

Risa Harada was smiling brightly, already in her White Day dress. She was beautiful. And beside her was Riku—still in street clothes, hair messily tied back, and smiling in that soft, quiet way that she always did. . . Daisuke felt a blush rise in his face. . .

Dark started laughing. Daisuke started panicking.

"Ah, sorry, Watari-sempai!" he blurted, dropping the picture and turning. "I just remembered something—gotta go!" And with that, he ran like the dogs of Hell where after him.

'_I'm going to transform!'_ he thought. Break was almost over, but the halls were still full enough that he frantically sought a place to hide.

_:Daisuke, the washroom:_ Dark said. He crashed through the door, gasping. That was when he noticed the pink walls.

"Dark! This is the _girls'_ room!" he cried. But alas, it was too late.

"Oops," Dark said a second later. But he noticed that the door had not closed, and someone had just come in.

He turned to see Ginryu Uujou staring at him.

---

_A message to Akkiko: Turnabout is fair play. _XD_ Now update House of Twilight!_

_To everyone else: Sorry this took so long to update. I just needed the right incentive (glares at Akkiko). In this case, no updating of her stories until I update this. :sigh: Of course, since I've haven't written this for so long, this chapter is really just filler ; Next chapter will have more action, I promise! Thanx, peeps!_

_Disclaimer: D.N.Angel and all its characters are copyright to Yukiru Sugisaki. Korazuma, Aiko and Ginryu belong to their respective users. _


	4. Turnabout is Fair Play

_**Who is the Greatest Thief?**_

**_Chapter 4—Turnabout Is Fair Play_**

_A/N: For reference's sake, this story takes place roughly in the middle of Volume Five. So right after the class trip to the island where Krad first emerged, but before the whole "Ice and Snow" and "Second Hand of Time" scenario. _

_Note:_

'_. . .' is Daisuke speaking to Dark_

_:. . .: is Dark speaking to Daisuke_

---

"Lemme get this straight," Korazuma said. "Daisuke Niwa. Nicest guy in the world—"

"—Poster boy for all things good and wholesome," Aiko put in.

". . .is Phantom Thief Dark."

"Yes." Ginryu looked at her two friends. "I know it sounds crazy, even for me, but it's the truth. I saw Daisuke run into the girl's washroom, and when I went in, Dark was standing there with no Daisuke in sight. Knowing what _we_ do for a living, how _we_ have alter egos, it shouldn't be _that_ hard to believe."

Aiko thought for a moment. "Yeah, okay. Given the situation, it shouldn't surprise us. But really. . .Daisuke?"

Korazuma snorted. "Yeah. Next thing you know, Satoshi will be the alter ego for some vengeful, homicidal psychotic."

The three of them laughed, which was followed with a rather uncomfortable silence while they stared at each other.

"You don't really think—" Ginryu started.

"Don't go there." Aiko walked over to one of the computers set up in their apartment. It was only a few blocks from Azumano High School, with four bedrooms and a spacious living area. Most of the free space was filled up with technical equipment. "Are we ready for tonight?"

"You tell us, Kitsune," Korazuma said, flopping onto the couch. "Break it down."

Aiko grinned. "Our target is known as Athena's Divine Star. It is thought to be a mere sapphire, and was donated to the Azumano Museum last week."

"What's the museum set-up?" Ginryu asked, joining Korazuma on the couch.

"Seven fifty-five, I'll be in the control room. That's the same time the e-mail I sent to the police chief will open. I'll shut down the alarm on the Divine Star, and at eight o'clock, Akkiko will take the jewel and exit the museum through the skylight. You'll pass it off to Tenshi, who will fly to the arranged rendezvous. I'll slip out through the ventilation system, meet up with Akkiko, and we'll shift to our alter egos and take a cab to the rendezvous. There shouldn't be too much security, so that won't be a problem. And by the time the police receive the e-mail, they'll have little to no time to get to the location."

"But that plan only works if there's not much security, right?" Korazuma asked, eyes on the TV screen. She grabbed the remote and turned up the volume.

". . .note said that tonight at eight o'clock, Phantom Thief Dark will steal the Mikomi no Koden, the Legend of Hope." A picture of an old carved flute flashed on the screen. "This piece is a part of the collection of musical instruments the Azumano Museum is showcasing this week. Police are already on scene to try yet again to apprehend the slippery thief."

Inspector Saehara appeared on-screen, a microphone shoved in his face. "Inspector, how are you feeling about tonight, especially after getting out of the hospital this afternoon?"

"Dark won't get away tonight. He will answer to the humiliation my people have undergone time and time again. Excuse me." The screen flashed back to the newsroom.

Ginryu cackled. "Looks like Dark has thrown a wrench into your plans, Ai-chan."

Aiko muttered some expletives under her breath. She turned to the computer and began pulling information from satellite images over the museum. "I hate sharing a city with another thief."

"Maybe we can call up Daisuke and compare schedules," Korazuma suggested, laughing. She looked over at Ginryu. "By the way, what happened after you walked in on Dark?"

Ginryu shrugged. "I handled it."

---

_(flashback)_

"Uh. . ." Ginryu stared at Dark. Dark stared back. "Hi." _What the hell am I doing?_

"Hi. . .Ginryu right?" Dark turned the charm on, smiling and casually leaning against the counter, as if he was supposed to be in the girls' washroom at a local high school. Then he stuck his foot in his mouth. "Or do you prefer 'Akkiko'?" _:What the hell am I doing:_

'_Got me, you idiot!'_ Daisuke cried in his mind.

Ginryu blinked a few times. _He knows too?_ she thought, nearly sighing. _So much for secret identities. . . Speaking of which. . ._

She put on a smile. "Ginryu's fine. Do you want me to call you Dark or Daisuke?"

Dark nearly fell over. So she had noticed. . .damn.

"Dark, obviously," he shot back. They stared at each other for a few moments. The bell rang and both ignored it.

"I guess we're at an impasse, huh?" Ginryu finally said.

"Guess so."

". . .Well, later." Ginryu turned and began to exit the bathroom.

"What? Wait!" Dark jumped forward and grabbed her arm. "You won't tell anyone, will you?"

Ginryu looked up at him. "Tell anyone what?" She winked at him, pulled out of his grip, and left.

_(end)_

---

Daisuke sighed, thoroughly depressed. Someone else had learned his secret. . .and he tried so hard.

_:Get over it:_ Dark groused. _:I don't think we have to worry about those three telling.:_

"Still!" Daisuke pulled a pillow over his face. "If Mom finds out, she's gonna freak!"

"Daisuke!" The Towa no Shirube, aka To-To, knocked on his bedroom door. "It's almost time for you to go!"

"Oh yeah. . .C'mon, Wiz," Daisuke called to his rabbit-like companion, who jumped onto his shoulder with a soft "Kyu!" The teen went downstairs where his mother was waiting with that evening's costume.

"Remember to be extra careful, Daisuke," Emiko Niwa said to her son, cheerful as ever. "The Mikomi no Koden is a very delicate instrument."

"Right, Mom," Daisuke said. "Let's go, Wiz!" Running out the backdoor, Daisuke sprinted through the back alleys until Wiz grew his wings and boy and creature took to the sky.

"By the way, Dark," Daisuke said, gazing down at the town. "Why did we turn back right after you talked to Ginryu?" He closed his eyes and remembered the picture of Riku he had seen that afternoon.

Dark shrugged. "You should know why by now, Daisuke."

---

Inspector Saehara walked down the hall of the museum, thinking about the previous night. Whatever he had said to the cameras, it didn't matter. Something wasn't right about what had gone down. That hadn't been Dark who had set off whatever gas that had filtered through the museum. It just wasn't his style, to knock out all witnesses.

For that matter, Dark didn't work with foreign substances either. Any props he used could be found at any hardware store or science class. The doctors had done blood tests on all of the security who had been knocked out—and no results had come back, because they just couldn't tell what kind of knock-out gas it was. Whatever it could be, it had never been used, and the components certainly weren't on the Periodic Table.

Commander Hiwatari came around the corner, and Saehara started, lost in his thoughts.

"Good evening, Inspector," Satoshi said, cool as ever. Before Saehara could reply, the youth continued, "Perhaps it might be better if you waited outside. Given last night's occurrence—"

"I'm not running," the Inspector snapped, "not from Dark or anyone else who wants to break into this museum." The Commander's face remained blank, and yet Saehara caught the slightest glint in his eyes. . . "You know something, don't you?"

Satoshi turned away, a small smile on his face. "I suppose that question is relevant, since I was the only one left conscious last night."

Saehara growled. "If you're withholding information, so help me—"

"I am not." Satoshi pierced the Inspector with his stare. "Concentrate on Dark, Inspector Saehara. He is the one attempting to steal something tonight."

At that moment the lights went out.

Saehara spun around, cursing. "He's early again!" It was 7:57. Dark was never early. He was never late either, except for the first time he had shown up.

Satoshi grabbed his arm and started running for the front of the museum. "No, Dark isn't."

The two entered the museum's lobby. An officer ran up to the Inspector. "Headquarters just called us," he panted. "An e-mail just opened up on the chief's computer—another thief is stealing something tonight!"

"What!" Saehara grabbed the front of the officer's uniform. "Who?"

"We don't know, Sir! The e-mail wasn't signed! And someone's locked us out of the control room. . ."

Satoshi ignored the two; he saw shadows move in the next room and bolted.

---

Kitsune stood in the control room, once again surrounded by unconscious guards. She was watching one of the live feeds from a TV camera she had tapped earlier. A huge crowd was gathered outside the museum, complete with policemen to hold the curious and over-enthusiastic back.

Her eyes flicked over to the security screens. In one area of the museum, Dark had just picked up his prize for the night: the flute she had seen on TV earlier. On another screen Akkiko had the Divine Star and was streaking through the halls. . .to crash into Dark. Kitsune facepalmed. That idiot. . . Whatever. It was Akkiko's problem. She could deal with it.

Gathering her gear, Kitsune gracefully leapt up to the open ventilation shaft and started crawling along. Her mini-computer went off. Rolling her eyes, Kitsune rolled onto her back and held up the machine. An e-mail from Headquarters waited; she had wanted information on the Divine Star before carting it to its owner. Of course, HQ was so chaotic that it had taken hours for them to respond. Akkiko had insisted they keep up appearances and steal the sapphire anyways, although all three of them had a bad vibe on this one. . .

Open the e-mail with a few clicks, Kitsune covered her mouth to halt the barrage of curse that threatened to echo down the shaft. She turned off the com, re-hooked it to her belt and started crawling, faster than before.

---

Slowing for a moment, Satoshi squinted into the darkness. Chasing after Dark had taught his eyes to see through most illusions, and he caught a glint of silver in the darkness. Following it, he jumped forward and tackled the figure.

Tenshi hit the floor, and her mask fell off. Satoshi stared down at her back; her wings were smaller—less than a quarter of the size they had been—and flapping uselessly in the air.

"So, they come in travel size," Satoshi said, smiling. He swiftly handcuffed the girl

"Of course. It's all the rage in America," Tenshi said, sitting up and grimacing. Unlocking handcuffs was not her forte.

Satoshi walked around her and picked up her mask. He looked from it to her face. "You know," he said, leaning in, "if someone knew what to look for, they could tell that you and Korazuma Shido are one and the same."

"I guess you'll be passing that information along to your fellow policemen, hmm?" Tenshi avoided his gaze, and jerked away when his fingers caught her chin. "What're you—"

"Hold still." Satoshi gently placed the mask back on her face. Tenshi stared at him, shocked; he stared back, face expressionless.

"What kind of game are you playing, Hiwatari-kun?" she asked, an edge to her voice.

"I'm not here to capture you. I am here to capture Dark. You are a distraction, and I feel it necessary to keep you and your companions out of my way." He grasped her arm and led her toward a side exit. "Although I am curious as to what you are doing."

"Sorry, I can't divulge that information without an attorney present," Tenshi said as he led her into the cool night air. Satoshi chuckled.

They came to the corner of the museum. Both could hear the crowd talking, policemen shouting. . .and glass breaking.

_Two_ dark shapes rose from the skylight. The crowd went wild, cameras going off, people calling out, policemen frozen by the sight.

Tenshi grinned and pulled away from Satoshi. "For future reference," she called back, pushing off, "I serve as the distraction." Her wings suddenly grew, catching her weight and lifting her towards the sky.

Feathers floated down to Satoshi, who caught one. "You certainly are that."

---

_Okay. . .I foretell that this story is going to on for a very, very long time. . . T.T It's probably because I have way too much dialogue going on and it's slowing things down—shizah. Oh well—something to work on I guess ;;_

_Bear with me, I do have the next four or so chapters mentally planned. . .it's just a question of when I'll write them. Until next time, minna-sama!_

_Disclaimer: D.N.Angel, its characters, scenarios and settings, all belong to Yukiru Sugisaki. :hugs entire manga collection to chest: I just buy the merchandise! _


	5. A World of One's Own

_**Who is the Greatest Thief?**_

_**Chapter 5—A World of One's Own**_

_Note:_

'_. . .' is Daisuke speaking to Dark_

_:. . .: is Dark speaking to Daisuke_

---

Akkiko was situated in the shadows beside an ancient throne. A few guards had passed by and not given her a glance. Magic shimmered around her, causing the eyes to slide away, the mind to turn to more important matters.

When the lights went out at last, she stood and stretched. "'Bout time, Kitsune," she grumbled, making her way through the dark corridors of the museum. Her eyes gleamed pure silver when any light caught them.

She entered the room where Athena's Divine Star was located. Someone—perhaps a die-hard worshipper of Athena—had lit a candle and placed in front of the display case. The flame reflected against the glass and the sapphire itself, causing an illusion of eerie blue mist to shine on the walls.

A voice crackled in Akkiko's earpiece. "We're good to go. The alarm's off on the case," Kitsune said.

"Thanks." Akkiko bowed her head for a brief moment, then licked her fingers and snuffed the candle. She then pushed a few buttons on the consol, and the glass lifted. She took the sapphire in hand, cradling it gently. She spun when she heard a sound in the next room. _A guard?_ she thought. _Or is it Dark?_

She crouched, running low to the ground toward the sound. She leaned against the wall, peering around the corner. As she listened, she slipped the jewel into a pouch at her belt.

Dark ran out of the room, crashing into her. Akkiko fell to the floor, and heard shouting.

"Some phantom thief," she said, arching an eyebrow. "Isn't the point not to get caught?"

"Oh, shut up," Dark grumbled. "You done here?"

"Yeah—"

"Then move it." Dark grabbed her arm, pulling her up as he ran. Akkiko stumbled, then fell into step beside him.

"You going up?" she asked.

Dark nodded as they entered the central part of the museum. A huge skylight was above them. "Ladies first."

Akkiko made a face and took off, Dark a hair's breath behind her. The skylight shattered, and Akkiko shielded her face as she gained altitude. _So much for a quiet exit_, she thought. Out of the corned of her eye, Akkiko saw Tenshi coming towards her. Time to try and salvage their plan. . .

"Tenshi! Think fast!" Akkiko called, and tossed the Divine Star at the darkangel, who yelped.

"I'm in handcuffs, here!"

A dark shape zipped past, snatching up the sapphire. Akkiko and Tenshi both called out as Dark landed on the roof, smirking. The crowd below was going nuts.

"Evening ladies," he said, bowing slightly.

Akkiko blew some hair out of her eyes, impatient. "Lemme guess—turnabout is fair play."

"Oh yeah. It's payback time." The Phantom Thief held up the sapphire, turning it this way and that. "Not a bad piece. But I am curious about why you'd want it. I'd think three pretty girls like you would have boyfriends to buy you jewels—hey!"

Akkiko had flown over to Tenshi, and was trying to unlock the handcuffs.

"Ow!" Tenshi said in protest.

"Damn new models. . ." Akkiko muttered, reaching into the kit on her belt for another lock-pick.

Dark fumed. _:Maybe I should just take it.:_

'_Dark! Let's just get out of here!'_ Daisuke pleaded. The crowd below was growing larger; the searchlights had been turned on and were focused on the roof, giving everyone a clear view of the three thieves present.

"Got it!" Akkiko laughed as Tenshi rubbed her freed wrists. "There's no lock I can't beat!"

"How nice for you," Dark grumbled. He turned his gaze to Tenshi. "By the way, what kind of thief can't even undo a set of handcuffs?"

Tenshi glared at him. "That's not my job—I'm not the one who deals with the locks and crap."

"Er, guys? I don't think this is the best place for a conversation," Akkiko said, thumbing at the crowd.

"Oh, so _now_ you're the voice of reason," Tenshi scoffed.

Before Akkiko could come up with a suitable retort, the doors of the museum burst open. A police officer ran out, reached the middle of the courtyard, and pulled off 'his' uniform with one motion.

Kitsune looked up at the roof, ignoring the chaos her entry had caused. The dust around her feet swirled as wind came from her person, and then black fire spun itself from the wind, surrounding her, supporting her, lifting her into the air.

"Where's the Divine Star?" she called.

"Hiya, Kit," Akkiko said, her expression bland. "Nice to see you too. I loved your entrance. But isn't flashy more my style?"

"I had to get out quickly and find you," Kitsune snapped. "Now where's the jewel?" Tenshi and Akkiko both pointed at Dark. "Okay. Don't move."

"Why not?" Dark asked. "Don't you want this back?" He held out the Divine Star. Kitsune flinched.

Tenshi stared at her. "Kitsune, what's wrong?"

"It's a bomb."

"_What!_" In a typical reaction to such news, Dark almost dropped the gem. Everyone on the roof froze.

"Why is it that whenever we steal something we have little to no info on, it's capable of killing us?" Tenshi asked, her voice icy.

"Yeah, remember that sword in India? I still can't believe it possessed you, Kitsune," Akkiko said, smiling grimly.

"Oy, don't you have some protective seals we can put on that thing?" Tenshi asked Kitsune, who shook her head.

"No, I didn't think we'd need them."

"And you used to be Girl Scout." Everyone gave her a blank looks. Tenshi smacked her forehead, and saluted with three fingers. "Be prepared?" Recognition dawned on their faces. "Oh, whatever," she snapped, and went towards Dark, holding out her hand. "Give it to me; there are mild wards on my carrying bag. Hopefully it won't go off while it's in there."

"Hopefully?" Dark carefully handed it over, wincing as the weight left his hands and went into hers.

"Hey, just be grateful that you're not the one with the hot potato anymore." Tucking the jewel in her bag, Tenshi retied it to her waist, looking a little pale.

"If you need magical wards," Dark said, "we. . .Daisuke's family should have some."

The three girls glanced at each other. "We don't have time to go back to the apartment," Kitsune said, checking her watch.

"Okay." Akkiko nodded at Dark. "Lead the way."

---

"Before we hand over the seals," Dark said, sitting on the couch with Wiz asleep on his knee, "I would like to know just what you're doing here."

"Stealing stuff," Akkiko said, accepting a cup of tea from Emiko Niwa. She smirked at Dark's annoyed glare.

"We're retrieving special items and returning them to the rightful owners," Kitsune said, rolling her eyes.

"'Rightful owners'?" Kosuke Niwa looked up from his book.

The three girls looked at each other.

". . .What we mean is, people who live in different worlds. Different dimensions," Tenshi finally said.

"What are you saying, like the Twilight Zone?" Dark asked sarcastically.

"It's a possibility," the three girls said at once.

"Here's how it was explained to us," Kitsune said. "A single world only extends to what a person knows and feels and sees. But beyond that there are infinite causalities—infinite universes."

"We're from a different world," Akkiko said, taking a bite of cake. "It's the same case with science fiction or fantasy worlds in books or movies—everything has truth to it, it just may not be in this world. Thank-you for the snacks, Mrs. Niwa."

"Oh—you're welcome," Emiko said, a little startled. "But. . ."

"How do we know you're not making this up?" Dark snapped.

"It's true that some worlds in books are made up," Tenshi said, her arms crossed. "And what we're saying could be made up. It all depends on your point-of-view." She leaned forward, looking directly into Dark's eyes, and sliding her gaze to each member of the Niwa family. "You've all seen amazing things—true things. But to those who do not normally experience these things, they would merely be delusional, made up stuff."

"The world we come from," Kitsune continued. "Is much like this one—but boring. There isn't much magic there anymore. It's all died out; been forgotten. So we decided to take up work in other worlds. That way we could see different ways the planet turned out—and the different ways we turned out."

"Eh?" The Niwa family glanced at each other, confused.

"Oh," Akkiko laughed. "Sometimes in a different world there are different versions of one character. For example: us. Somewhere in this world, there could be another version of Akkiko, Kitsune and Tenshi, but they've grown up under different circumstances, lived different lives."

"But we would share the same souls with them." Kitsune poured herself another cup of tea. "Any questions?"

"So—are you saying that there could be different versions of me?" Dark shouted. "Or of Daisuke?"

"Sure," Tenshi said. "There could even be worlds where you are two separate entities—two bodies instead of one."

"And in another world you may not exist outside of some shojo manga fantasy," Kitsune added.

Dark collapsed on the couch, looking rather overwhelmed.

"Now that you mention shojo manga. . ." Akkiko said slowly, staring at Dark.

Tenshi blinked. "Wait a minute." The three girls stared at each other for several moments. A story of a normal teenage boy whose alter ego was a famous art thief. . .

(Interruption: The authoress grins evilly and waves to everyone reading this. Nyah-ha-ha.)

Kitsune coughed. "Anyways—how about those seals?"

"Hang on," Dark said, coming out of his reverie. "You haven't answered my question. I can accept that you're here from another world, or whatever—but why are you stealing pieces from this world?"

"They're not," the girls said in unison again.

"Sometimes things accidentally slip through to different worlds," Kitsune said. "More often, someone who's jumping between worlds brings artifacts and sells them off or just leaves them."

"Think of it as a multi-universal black market," Akkiko put in.

"The problem is that it causes an imbalance between worlds," Tenshi said. "You all know the power a piece of art holds—when that power is taken away from one world, and concentrates in another. . .well, it can start to cause problems."

"What kinds of problems?" Kosuke asked.

"Chaos begins to break out. The world the art is introduced to may not be able to handle the magic it brings—such is the case with the Divine Star." She nodded to the jewel, still in the pouch, that had been placed on the table. "It is a perfectly harmless thing to most in this world, but it was created to be a weapon in its original world."

"The problems can be endless," Kitsune said. "The soul of an artwork can grow stronger, and begin to possess people—or the soul can wane away, so the magic is lost forever to every world. And in some places magic is everything, the most precious thing."

"So that's why we're thieves," Akkiko said. "We return artifacts to their original owners—their original worlds. And in return we get to see many different worlds."

"But how can you travel from world to world?" Grandpa Niwa asked. "Surely it isn't easy."

The three girls grinned at each other. "We have a very good travel agent," Akkiko said.

"She's one of those people who understands about balance between worlds," Tenshi added. "Mainly because she's traveled to a lot of them."

"Now that we've answered your question, can we please put some magic seals on the bomb?" Kitsune asked cheerfully.

"Eh? Oh, yeah. Sure." Dark looked over at Grandpa. "Daiki?"

Grandpa opened a door and pulled out some ofuda. Kitsune took these and examined them.

"Not bad," she muttered. "I just to make a few modifications, if you don't mind."

"Not at all."

"Tenshi? Akkiko?"

Tenshi stood, her wings growing to their full length and pulling a feather out. Akkiko pulled a knife from her belt and handed it to Tenshi, who pricked one finger. Dipping the tip of the feather in the blood that welled up, she leaned over the ofuda held by Kitsune and added some symbols.

"That should do it." Kitsune held out her hand, and Tenshi placed the Divine Star into it. Slapping the seal on the stone, Kitsune closed her eyes and was silent.

A brief crackle of green lightning swept over her hands, the stone and seal.

Everyone exhaled. "Well, that wasn't so hard, now was it?" Akkiko asked.

---

Yay! The huge explanation scene is done! XD 

_Please note that most of the explanation of how there are many different worlds was essentially ripped from xxxHOLiC volume 2 ;;;; Sorry, but they just describe it so much more eloquently than I ever could. . . _

_Disclaimer: D.N.Angel, its characters, scenarios and settings, all belong to Yukiru Sugisaki. I only own Tenshi/Korazuma, Akkiko/Ginryu, Kitsune/Aiko, and the plotline, which is about to get more complicated. MUCH more complicated. _


	6. Cause and Effect

_**Who is the Greatest Thief?**_

_**Chapter 6—Cause and Effect**_

_Note:::_

'_. . .' is Daisuke speaking to Dark_

_:. . .: is Dark speaking to Daisuke_

---

Daisuke sat on the window seat in his room, a towel around his shoulders. His red hair was still damp from his shower, and dripped onto his blue and white pajamas. He didn't notice, however; he was too busy staring off into the night sky.

The girls had left some time ago, saying that they were meeting someone in order to return the jewel/bomb to its real world. Since they had gone, Daisuke had turned the information they had given him over and over in his mind. His eyes fixed on a star.

"Different worlds. . ." he whispered. "Could one of those stars out there be a different world, and we just don't know it?" He sighed. What a stupid thought. He should really get some sleep; it was a school night, after all.

". . .Hey, Dark?"

_:What? I'm sleeping!:_

Daisuke's mouth quirked into a smile before it slipped away. "Do you believe what they said? About the different worlds?"

_:Sure.:_

"But you were so skeptical when they were here. . ."

:It's kind of a lot to think about. Besides, I'm still not sure we can trust those three. But really, I believed them all along—and so should you. After all, you've already been in another world—the world within that mirror, the Sage of Sleep.:

"You're right. . .Dark?"

_:Whaaaat?: _

Daisuke smiled again; Dark could be such a whiner sometimes. "Do you think there really are worlds out there where, you know, we're not. . .connected? Where we're two different , separate people?"

Dark was silent for a long time. _:Anything's possible.:_

Daisuke sighed, leaning his crossed arms on the windowsill. He put his chin on them. "Do you think in those worlds. . .that Satoshi and Krad are two separate people, too?"

_:That would follow, wouldn't it? Duh.:_

Daisuke smiled softly. "That would be good. I think Satoshi would have turned out much happier. He wouldn't have to worry about caring for anyone. He could just do as he wished."

Dark snorted. _:What do you want to bet that Krad would still be out for my head?:_

Daisuke laughed nervously. "Well, maybe some things never change, even between worlds. We'll have to ask Aiko, Kora and Ginryu to keep an eye out for such a world." He stretched. "Maybe if they ever find it, they'll come back and tell us all about it."

Dark laughed, but it was not kind at all. _:Do you really think they'll come back once they leave? They don't seem to work that way, Daisuke. They come to the world, return the art pieces and move on to the next world. That's it.: _

Daisuke frowned. "But. . .if we're they're friends. . ."

_:Go to sleep, Daisuke.:_

The teen sighed again and went to his bed, where To-to, in bird form, and Wiz were already situated. Shifting them slightly, he climbed in, and lay down, staring at his ceiling.

"I wonder. . .if there's a world where Riku never left. . ."

_:Stop thinking, Daisuke.:_

---

Satoshi was just about to drift off to sleep when his cell phone went off. He suppressed a sigh as he opened it.

"It's a school night, Father. Why are you calling?"

Commissioner Hiwatari chuckled before his voice became serious. "You failed again tonight?"

"Yes," Satoshi answered evenly. "I was distracted."

"Yes, I am watching those 'distractions' on the news. Who are they?"

"I have no information on them. They are irrelevant to what I am—"

"They are in communication with Dark. They spoke on the roof before flying off together. These three new thieves could be in alliance with Dark."

"Not possible." Satoshi's voice was firm. "Dark is a complete egotist. He wants the spotlight all for himself, and wouldn't stand for it to be shared with these girls, who came out of nowhere."

"Perhaps."

Satoshi sighed, frustrated. "You want me to research them anyways."

"Yes. And I want them out of the picture. You don't require any distractions—you've wasted too much time already fooling around with Dark. Don't disappoint me, Satoshi." And with that, his adoptive father hung up.

Satoshi snorted. "Like I'm doing this for you," he said to the empty room as he closed his cell. He leaned back against the headboard, staring at the dark ceiling, before turning on his bedside light and bringing up his laptop from where it had been lying on the floor.

He rubbed at his eyes, knowing he should sleep. . . He began clicking away at the keyboard, and was soon pulling profiles from Azumano High School's mainframe.

---

"What the hell is going on?" Aiko seethed, emerging from the bathroom clothed in a robe, her damp hair in a frazzeled mess that matched her mood.

"Here we go again," Korazuma muttered, sprawled on the couch with a book. "How many times has she started this rant?"

"Eight since we got home," Ginryu replied, from where she sat on the floor, surrounded by textbooks. "Hey, have you finished that French assignment?"

"We go to an _arranged_ meeting," Aiko went on, oblivious to the fact that her friends weren't even listening, "to return a freaking _bomb _that we could have been _killed_ by—and do the creators even _bother_ to show up? Of _course_ not! No, we have to risk our lives stealing back something that they were _stupid_ enough to let get stolen in the first place—and then they don't even show up to retrieve the damn thing!" She flopped down on the couch, narrowly avoiding crushing Kora's legs, which the girl pulled up with a yelp.

Ginryu blinked at her before setting down her notebook. "Y'know, I've been thinking about that—"

"I smell smoke," Aiko and Kora said in unison.

"Oh, ha, ha. What I've been thinking is that this particular case was weird from the beginning. I mean—our first real case in this world, and we don't get all our information before our retrieval. The object turns out to be more dangerous than we anticipated. And then our rendezvous doesn't show up."

"And we don't even know who our rendezvous is supposed to be—that information seems to be missing as well," Korazuma added.

"So—what?" Aiko leaned forward, face serious. "Do you think our communications have been compromised?"

"I think we need to send someone to speak with our 'travel agent'," Kora said. "She'll give up information for the Divine Star—and we can get rid of it. Two birds, one stone."

"Oh, I'll go!" Ginryu stuck up her hand. "I love chatting with Yuuko!"

"No, you went last time," Aiko objected. "It is totally my turn. But can you guys handle any new cases without me?"

"We can put that off until you get back." Korazuma stood and walked over to the computer. "If we can't trust our contacts, we can't just go forward blindly like we did tonight."

"True enough. Guess we should learn from our mistakes." Aiko stood also, stretching. "'Kay, I'll leave first thing in the morning, and meet you back at the school when classes are over."

"Damn," Ginryu said, making a face. "That means I need to finish my homework."

---

_(the next day)_

Daisuke walked into the classroom, yawning. He heard Ginryu laughing and turned to see her sitting down with a grin on her face. Korazuma leaned on Ginryu's desk, her face flushed with embarrassment.

He was about to go over and ask what was wrong when, rather inevitably, Takeshi descended on our hapless hero.

"Can you believe it??" the reporter-wannabe asked, excited to a whole new level. "He's calling in reinforcements!" He waved the morning paper in the air.

Daisuke caught a glimpse of the front page: a blurry picture of Dark, Akkiko, Tenshi and Kitsune on the roof of the museum. Great.

"Reinforcements?" Daisuke echoed, snatching the paper so he could actually read the headline.

_The Mysterious Three…Dark's companions…or competition? _

_:Oh, for Christ's sake…:_ Dark grumbled_. :Could they get any more dramatic?:_

'_You wouldn't be saying that if it was just _you_,'_ Daisuke retorted.

Returning the paper to Takeshi, Daisuke went over to the two girls. "What's wrong?" he asked the red Korazuma.

"Say a word and I will kill you," Kora snapped at Ginryu.

Daisuke sweatdropped and changed the subject. "Um. . .where's Miss Aiko?"

Ginryu leaned forward, whispering, "In another world."

"You're such a drama queen," Korazuma said. "Anyways, last night our rendezvous never showed to take the bomb from us."

"So what does that mean?" Daisuke asked.

"It means that our information was bad," Ginryu said. "What we stole was from another world, but it wasn't our normal contacts who set us up with the job. Something's screwed up in the system, and that pisses us off."

"So Aiko's going to get some uncorrupted information from our travel agent."

"And who's that?" Daisuke asked, but at that moment the teacher came in, causing everyone to scatter to their seats.

---

(after school)

Outside the empty classroom, students chattered as they gathered their coats and homework. Inside, Ginryu and Korazuma waited. The space at the front of the classroom wavered and stretched impossibly before Aiko emerged.

"Hey, guys," she said, grinning.

"So?"

"She says that we should probably ignore any orders that come in, and she'll do some digging on our behalf if we bring her treasures in exchange for that information."

"Does bringing her treasure mean endangering ourselves further?" Korazuma asked.

"You know Yuuko," Aiko said. She posed, one hand placed coquettishly on her lips. "An even exchange must be made for the right information. You may endanger yourselves by not getting the information; thus, there is danger either way."

"So basically, we do what she says and if the shit hits the fan, it's still our own fault." Ginryu stood and stretched. "Yep, she hasn't changed."

"She has a new kid working for her, though," Aiko said. "Watanuki-kun. He's such a spazz—you should have seen his face when Yuuko told him the Divine Star was a bomb."

"Let me guess; he was holding it at the time?" Korazuma shook her head as Ginryu laughed. "Poor kid."

"So, shall we go?" Aiko pulled a slip of paper out of her pocket. "Yuuko already has a job for us tonight, and I need to scope the museum we're crashing."

"She works fast," Ginryu said, raising her eyebrows. "Geez,, she's not going to let us rest for a second, is she?"

"Hey, she's our only reliable source now," Kora said. "We can't exactly argue if we want to know the truth."

"As Watanuki said—we're 'in her clutches'," Aiko put in, giggling as the girls walked into the nearly empty hallway.

"Excuse me." The girls turned to see Satoshi Hiwatari leaning on the wall.

"Ah—" Ginryu grinned and pushed Aiko past him. "Come on, Ai-chan—I think Kora has something she wants to talk to Hiwatari-kun about."

Korazuma flushed again, glaring after her friends as they disappeared around the corner.

"What was that about?" Satoshi asked, eyebrows raised.

"Nothing. Absolutely nothing." Kora turned to him. "What do you want?"

"I though it would be prudent to inform you that I've been…asked to get rid of the distractions that have popped up."

"I thought your objective was to capture Dark?"

"It is. However. . ."

"You don't like these new terms, do you?"

Satoshi looked up sharply.

"So why bother?" Kora continued.

"Because you are an annoyance."

"We usually are to policemen."

Satoshi pushed off the wall to stand in front of her. "As I told you last night, I am curious about why you three do what do."

Korazuma smiled and started to walk past him. "It's a secret."

Satoshi grabbed her arm. "Why are you stealing artwork?"

Kora stared at him for a moment, her eyes growing hard. "That isn't your concern. And we won't stop you from capturing Dark. If you can ever catch him, that is. It's been coincidence up until now we're even stealing from the same museums on the same nights. Whoever wants you to get rid of us should mind his own business."

Satoshi agreed, but still didn't let go. "It _is_ my concern. What are you doing with the pieces?"

"They're safe, if that's what you mean. Just like the pieces Dark steals."

Satoshi winced. Korazuma stepped up to him.

"Why do you want to catch Dark?"

"Why do you steal artwork?"

"It's what I'm good at."

"It's what I have to do."

"Why?'

Satoshi leaned back, sighing. "Frustrating," he muttered, letting her go.

"No kidding." Korazuma rummaged in her backpack. "But you know. . .I'm avoiding what I really want to ask you." She pulled out a drawing. "I know about Dark and Daisuke. I know you know about the two of them as well. So how does he fit into things?" She held out the picture.

Satoshi stared at the picture, the letters JUDGEMENT just as piercing as Krad's eyes. He looked away. "What do you mean?"

"I told you; I drew this based on a dream I had. And this guy. . ." She put away the picture, looking uncomfortable. "He's dangerous."

Satoshi snorted softly. What an understatement. "He's not a danger to you or your friends, at least. Go home, Miss Shido."

"Satoshi. . ." Korazuma stepped forward, and to anyone watching, it would appear that she merely brushed his hand.

She abruptly stepped back, knowing she had overstepped herself. Flushing, she muttered some sort of farewell and turned, hurrying down the hall.

Satoshi blinked, his hand clasping something hard. He held up the object and felt his lips twitch into a smile. It was the handcuffs he had used on Tenshi the previous night. Twined between the bracelets was a note:

See you tonight. Catch us if you can.

---

_Author's Notes: For those of you who have read xxxHOLiC, yes, Yuuko is the girls' 'travel agent' XD _

_Will Yuuko be making an appearance? (making this a crossover as well as a self-insertion?) . . . Perhaps. In the very distant future. Maybe. _

_God, 5 months. . .this update took too long. . .and the next few chapters are already planned out, but (as always) when I actually get around to writing is up in the air. I also really want to do fanart for this fic, but first I need to do commissions for other people. . .So, I have many things planned, but no time to do them:( Ah, well. . ._

_Hope everyone has a Merry Christmas, or Hanukah, or Kwanzaa, or Yule, or any other December-based holiday that exists! This is a little gift to anyone who still bothers to read my stuff :) I lurv you all. _

_Disclaimer: I do not own D.N.Angel or any of the characters/settings from the series. I do own all original characters and settings._


	7. Purification by Accident

_**Who is the Greatest Thief?**_

_**Chapter 7—Purification by Accident**_

_Note:::_

'_. . .' is Daisuke speaking to Dark_

_:. . .: is Dark speaking to Daisuke_

---

"Is it just me, or is this becoming extremely episodal?" Ginryu asked, lying on the couch in the girls' apartment. She was absorbed in playing a handheld videogame.

"What do you mean?" Aiko asked, without pausing her typing.

"You know—we're high school students by day, art thieves by night, you research our target, we steal it, and do it all over again the next day. It's like a badly written anime."

"So. . .you're saying we should do something totally out of the blue?" Kora asked, her homework spread out in front of her on the floor.

"Yeah. . .shake up the plotline."

"Well, maybe the writer of this badly directed anime will throw in a plot twist by the end of this particular episode." Aiko hit a few final keys and spun around in her chair. "Okay, we can go now."

"Did you send an e-mail to the police?" Ginryu asked.

"Wouldn't that be too. . .predictable? Episodal? Et cetera?" Aiko smirked and ducked the pillow that was thrown her way.

"We don't need to contact the police, they'll already be there. Again." Kora pointed her pencil in the direction of the TV.

"Oh, you have got to be kidding," Ginryu and Aiko said at the same time.

---

"But Mom—"

"No buts, Daisuke." Emiko Niwa tugged on the hem of her son's shirt, smoothing the fabric. "And remember, if you see those girls again tonight, don't let them steal anything from you."

"Mom, they wouldn't take any of the Hikari items—those artworks are all from _this_ world, right?"

_:Sometimes even I'm not that sure. . .:_

'_Please don't say that, Dark. . .'_

"I know they seem like nice girls, Dai, but I don't like the way they're stealing all of your attention." Emiko straightened, striking a dramatically forlorn pose. "Dark is supposed to be the greatest thief of all. . ."

_:Hey, hey! I still am!:_

"But besides that. . ." Emiko placed her hands on Daisuke's shoulders, serious this time. "If that jewel last night really was a bomb. . .you and Dark could have been hurt. So just be careful around them, okay?"

"Mom. . .I'll be fine. Dark knows what he's doing." Daisuke smiled and gave his mother a hug. "So what am I after tonight?"

---

"Dark will be after the necklace 'Chain of Memory' on the first floor," Kitsune said into her communicator. She was kneeling at the edge of the copse of trees that surrounded the museum, obscured from sight. She could see everything inside and around the museum, however, as she had once again tapped into the security and television cameras. "And we're after the 'Vase of Demeter' on the second floor."

"What is with all the fancy names?" Akkiko muttered from her usual position, hidden within the shadows in the museum. "Can't people just appreciate the beauty of the art itself?"

"It adds to the drama," Tenshi said, from her position on the roof. "And it looks better in advertisements. Or on warning cards."

Kitsune continued typing. "Apparently this artwork was named such because of the woman carved on the front. Historians were stumped as to where and when the vase was made, or who she is. So they just called her Demeter, the Greek goddess of the Harvest, and plopped it in the museum."

"Why aren't the police in the building yet?" Tenshi asked. "You would think they'd have been in there hours ago, fruitlessly preparing for another strike by Phantom Thief Dark. They're just sitting outside."

"That would be because of the wards," Kitsune said, grinning.

"What wards?" the other two girls asked, sounding a little freaked.

"Hey, Akkiko wanted something different—so I hacked the police database and sent orders to stay out of the building because new security measures were being implemented. But they're really magic wards I planted when I was at the museum earlier today."

"Who'd you say that order came from?" Tenshi asked, suspicious.

"Why, your Satoshi-kun, of course." Kitsune's grin grew and Akkiko laughed. "I want to see what happens when he and Dark show up and react to the wards."

"You are so bad," Tenshi said, shaking her head. "And what do you mean, _my_ Satoshi-kun?"

"Hush," Kitsune snapped, switching her com-link to the police radios. "Hiwatari's here, and he's not happy. Ladies, prepare yourselves—"

"What are you doing?"

Kitsune jumped a foot in the air, squealing. She twisted to see Dark standing there, regarding her with a rather amused look. She glared at him.

"Do you mind?"

"Sorry, but I was curious about what exactly you pulled to make half the police force sit on their asses tonight." He leaned over to look at her computer screen. "I thought I heard something about magic wards."

"Kitsune? What happened?" Akkiko's voice crackled in Kitsune's ear-piece. She pushed Dark away and started her typing again.

"Your boyfriend's here, Akki. I'm sending him in through the roof." She turned to look up at Dark. "Don't worry, the wards shouldn't effect you from that point."

Dark tilted his head, suspicious. "But you're not sure?"

Kitsune shrugged. "Just trying to jazz things up around here."

"I feel so much better knowing that." He turned and took off, landing on the roof beside Tenshi.

"What's up?" the Darkangel nodded to him.

"One question: am I going to explode when I open this?" Dark asked, gesturing towards the skylight.

"Maybe."

He facepalmed. "Jesus, you girls make things complicated."

"Yes. Yes we do."

Any further banter was interrupted as a helicopter dropped down from the clouds, shining its powerful lights on the two. Both Dark and Tenshi cursed and bolted for the skylight.

"Ladies first," Dark shouted. Tenshi nodded and dropped down; the last thing she saw was a figure dropping from the 'copter.

She immediately took off down the hallway, stopping as she rounded the corner. She heard Dark heading in the opposite direction, and then a second person dropped down. She heard Satoshi's voice speaking into a walkie-talkie.

"Hold your positions. Dark is on the second floor, moving down towards the Chain of Memory." She head static-laced reply. "No, he did not set up those 'security measures'. Those came from the other three we saw last night. Do not come into the building until I can find and disconnect them. Over."

She heard Satoshi take off down the hall and sighed. Time to get to work.

"Akkiko?" she spoke into her earpiece. "What's your status?"

"Bored."

"I mean, do you have the vase yet?"

"No, I'm waiting for something interesting to happen. Hey, Kitsune, are those wards still up?"

"No. . .but the police are moving on their own, even though Hiwatari told them not to."

All three girls facepalmed.

"What kind of wards did you use, Kitsune?" Tenshi asked.

". . .The exploding kind!"

"Akkiko? Get the vase and get out of here. The musuem's coming down."

"Oh, you're exaggerating! They'll just dispel a lot of smoke. . .which will turn anyone nearby pink." Kitsune coughed and closed her laptop. "So you still might want to get out of there. There are going to be a lot of angry policemen right about. . ."

Tenshi and Akkiko both heard explosions from outside, followed by screams and yells of outrage.

". . .now."

Akkiko sighed and approached the Vase of Demeter. She clicked in the security code Kitsune had given her earlier and within seconds had the emerald-green metal pitcher in her hands. She inspected the goddess on the front before peering inside to ensure no one had stuck a tracking device in the empty container.

At that moment a policemen skidded into the room. And he was, indeed, dyed pink.

"Halt!" he yelled, drawing his firearm.

Akkiko snickered. "Sorry, but I just can't take anyone seriously when they've been colored. . .pink. . ."

The officer growled and fired a warning shot. Akkiko jumped and hurried through the archway. Another shot rang out.

"Shit!" she cursed. "These guys aren't fooling around anymore!"

"Akkiko!" Tenshi rounded a corner and leapt up to the shadowy ceiling. "Keep going, I'll get rid of him!"

Akkiko obliged her friend and continued towards the central part of the museum. She heard another minor explosion followed by a thump as the knock-out gas overwhelmed the overzealous officer. She turned to see if Tenshi was behind her and slipped.

The Vase of Demeter flew out of her hands as Akkiko slid and crashed into the guard railing of the area that overlooked the main floor. The vase's handle caught on one of the chandeliers that hung from the ceiling.

There was silence for a minute and then water began to pour from what had been an empty vessel.

---

Dark raced down the halls, and heard Satoshi behind him.

_:Damn—I should have gotten here early!:_ he thought. _:Damn those girls. . .:_

'_Maybe Mom was right. . .we should avoid them from now on. . .'_ Daisuke said, sweatdropping.

As Dark entered the room where the Chain of Memory necklace was held, he launched himself into the air to get a better angle at swiping it. The glass case had already been removed; all he had to do was snatch it up. He heard Satoshi cursing as he arched back into the air.

The necklace was simple, with a thick chain and a pendant in the shape of a key. There was a note wrapped around the chain; Dark flattened himself against a ledge on the wall and unrolled it:

_Thought I'd help out, just in case things got crazy. Akkiko._

_:Heh. Maybe they're not so bad.:_

"Dark!"

The thief smirked down at Satoshi. "Yes, Commander Hiwatari?"

"That necklace was under perfect surveillance when I was here this afternoon. Those girls helped you, didn't they?"

Dark laughed. "The great Phantom Thief Dark works alone. I would think a Hikari would know that by now."

Satoshi glared. "Then what are those girls hoping to achieve? I know you know."

"Ask them yourself. If you can catch them. Or I'll tell you—if you can catch me."

Dark was about to take off once more when explosions rocked along the perimeter of the building. Both men cursed.

"Those idiots," Satoshi said, spinning around.

"I wouldn't worry; those girls aren't interested in murder. They just want the art." Dark jumped to the ground, spinning the Chain of Memory around his finger casually. "Well, shall we continue—"

At that moment, they heard gunshots. Dark grabbed the necklace, tensing. Satoshi, too, looked surprised.

"Heh—you don't want them getting hurt, do you?" Dark said. "Any more than you want Daisuke getting hurt."

Satoshi ignored him. "They aren't supposed to discharge their weapons with all the media and citizens outside."

"Sounds like someone's ignoring that order." They heard another explosion. "Well, I don't know about you, but I'm going to see what's going on." He raced out of the room.

Satoshi gritted his teeth. What were those girls _doing_?

He ran after Dark again, but this time he wasn't interested in someone catching someone else. He just wanted to make sure she was—

Dark tucked the Chain of Memory into a pocket in his shirt as he ran, not really attempting to evade anyone. He just wanted to make sure she was—

He entered the main hall of the museum and skidded.

_:What the hell?!:_ he thought, looking up at the miniature waterfall coming from a pitcher hooked on the chandelier.

Water was filling the room, making the ceramic tile very slippery; even a Phantom Thief didn't stand much a chance. Dark slipped and slid right under the stream of water, spluttering.

Satoshi saw Dark go down and tried to keep his balance, but felt something dragging him down, a strange force acting behind the normal gravity in the room. He, too, slipped and went under the waterfall.

There were several flashes of light, and then darkness below.

---

Tenshi ran down the hall, cursing. "What did you do?"

Akkiko blinked stars out of her eyes and picked herself up. She peered over the rail to the main floor. Water continued to pour from the Vase of Demeter. Her eyes widened as she saw what had happened below.

"Um. . .Tenshi?"

Tenshi skidded to a stop beside her friend. She did a double-take.

"What did you _do_?"

Akkiko coughed and clicked on her communicator. "Hey, Kitsune? What exactly are the properties of the vase?"

"According to Yuuko, it was used to temporarily separate demonic presences from the bodies of mortals. Why?"

"It still works," Akkiko said. "We may need some backup."

Tenshi balanced on the railing before launching herself at the chandelier. She retrieved the pitcher, and the endless waterfall ceased.

And below her were four groaning figures; two normal, one with black wings, and one with white wings.

"Things are definitely getting complicated."

---

_A/N: . . .Wow, this getting so _random_. Um. . .yes. . .magical wards that turn people pink. Fun for the entire family. . ._

_But really, the main point of this whole story was getting the four guys separated by this alien piece of artwork. So. . .now the real plotline begins! I think. . . _

_And my favorite part of this chapter?_

"One question: am I going to explode when I open this?"

"Maybe."

_XD Poor, poor Dark. _

_Happy New Year!! 2007—Rawk!_

_Disclaimer: D.N.Angel and its characters and settings are all owned by the appropriate parties. . .not me. I own original characters and settings as well as the plotline. And THAT'S ALL._


	8. Complications

_**Who is the Greatest Thief?**_

_**Chapter 8—Complications**_

(A/N: This chapter is dedicated to Akkiko, and is part of her birthday present (which was a month ago) :gets shot: Happy 18th, kid!)

_Note:::_

'_. . .' is Daisuke speaking to Dark_

_:. . .: is Dark speaking to Daisuke_

---

"This is not good."

"No kidding. But what are we going to do about it?"

"This was never supposed to happen—"

"You think I don't know that?"

"Calm down. It's only temporary, isn't it?"

"Well, it's _supposed_ to be, but. . ."

Daisuke opened his eyes, feeling utterly drained. When had he changed back? And why was he wet?

'_Dark. . .what happened? Dark?'_

_:Daisuke. . .:_ The voice sounded so far away. . . Daisuke tried to clear his fuzzy thoughts as the girls began talking again.

"Tenshi, that white-wings is the one in your picture, right? How does he factor into this?"

"I'm not sure. . .but he's tied to Hiwatari's soul just like Dark is tied to Daisuke's, so. . ."

'_What? Krad's out?!'_ Daisuke stirred, groaning.

"Daisuke-kun?" The teen looked up to see Kitsune hunched over him, her expression worried. "How're you feeling?"

". . .empty." The word came without him thinking about it, right out of the fog his mind was in. And Daisuke realized it was true; something was missing. But what—

"Dark?" The drenched phantom thief was lying not too far from where Daisuke sat up, his black wings fanned out behind him. "How. . .what. . ."

"Don't panic, Daisuke," Kitsune said, one hand on his shoulder. "It's going to be okay."

"But. . ." Daisuke's eyes traveled past Kitsune, to where Tenshi was squatted beside Satoshi. Further on, Akkiko stood over Krad, staring down at the white-wings warily. Both Krad and Satoshi were dripping wet as well. "What happened?!"

"You're suffering from the effects of the artwork we stole tonight," Kitsune said. She held up the Vase of Demeter. "We'll explain when we get out of here."

A blare of static made everyone conscious jump. Inspector Saehara's bellowing voice issued from the hand-held radio clipped to Satoshi's belt. "Commander?! What the hell is going on there?! Do you copy?!"

"Kitsune—" Tenshi grabbed the radio and tossed it to the other girl. Kitsune removed her mask, and cleared her throat.

"Yes," she spoke, but it was Satoshi's voice that issued from her mouth. Daisuke shivered; she was good. "Keep everyone back from the building. There have been some complications, and I'm trying to secure the area. Do not enter. I'll call for back-up when things are clear. Over and out."

She clicked the radio off and the three girls breathed a sigh of relief.

"That should buy us a little more time at least," Akkiko said. "But how're we going to get them all out of here if they don't wake up?"

"We'll have to wait and hope for the best," Kitsune said. "Worst comes to worst, we'll have to set off some smoke bombs. Waiting for the fire department will get us more time, and we'll get out in the confusion."

"Girls. . ." Daisuke had moved to where Dark was stretched out. It was still weird, looking down at someone he wasn't supposed to be seeing outside of a reflection. "Are you sure. . .he's alive?" He just couldn't summon the courage to check himself.

"Yes, don't worry. We checked everyone's pulse and everyone is very much alive," Akkiko said. "So what're we going to do about this guy?" She nudged Krad with her boot.

Without warning, Krad's wings flapped up, catching Ginryu in the face and sending her sprawling. Her head cracked on the floor and she lay still, as Krad stood, wavering slightly.

His mind was in a fog from the waters inside the Vase of Demeter, so that when he saw feathered black wings, he acted on instinct rather than his usual calculated thinking. He had his hands around Tenshi's throat before anyone had time to react.

Tenshi tried to scream as she was pushed down, clawing at Krad's hands. She had stood up when Akkiko had gone down, and the white-wings had come straight at her. Fear froze her before she began to struggle, not even knowing why he had done it.

Satoshi looked up, feeling so tired that he might have just turned over and fallen back asleep. But there was also an urgency in the back of his mind—a warning that something was terribly wrong and he had to right it.

He saw Krad, his other half, and thought, _This is not possible_.

Just that one thought, over and over again in his mind.

Dark, on the other hand, was slightly more aware of what was going on; he knew that the connection between himself and Daisuke had been severed, but not completely. His other half was present, and his thoughts were in turmoil. Dark felt Krad's presence just as clearly—and it made him want a weapon in his hands.

"_Get off of her!_" Kitsune's outraged screech brought both Satoshi and Dark out of their respective reveries.

Everyone looked just in time to see a stream of ofuda entwine around Krad's limbs, pulling him away from Tenshi. The papers proceeded to wrap around Krad's body, until he lay on the ground, trussed up like a mummy. The ribbon of papers even held his crumpled wings immobile; the only visible parts of him were his long blond hair and glaring gold eyes.

"Bastard!" Akkiko said, sitting up and rubbing the back of her head. "Tenshi, you okay?"

"Y-yeah," Tenshi said, one hand pressed to the side of her neck.

"Bull," Kitsune said, kneeling at her side. "You're bleeding!"

"He scratched me when you pulled him off, but I'm fine."

"Tenshi-san, are you alright?" Satoshi kneeled on her other side, holding out a handkerchief.

"Hiwatari-kun, just what the hell were you hiding inside of yourself?" Akkiko demanded.

"Cool it, Akkiko," Tenshi said, holding the cloth to her neck. "It's not like it's his fault."

"What is going on?" Dark asked, helping Daisuke to his feet. "I feel like the fourth wall has just been broken."

"Well, in this case, I think it has," Kitsune said. "And we'll be glad to explain, but right now we have to get out of here. The skylight should be clear. Dark, you'll have to carry Daisuke. Akkiko, help me carry Mr. Violence over there—" She gestured to Krad. "—and Tenshi will carry Hiwatari-kun."

Tenshi felt her face grow warm. "But—he can just walk out of here—he's a cop, remember?"

"But I also want an explanation, Shido-san." Everyone stared at Satoshi. He smiled. "Pardon. I mean, Tenshi-san."

"You did that on purpose, you creep," Akkiko muttered as the youth rose.

"I'm going to go and tell the officers outside that we've failed once more, and that Dark and the three of you got away with the art pieces. But after that—"

"We have a van parked on the far side of the park," Kitsune said. "We'll wait fifteen minutes and then we're gone."

Satoshi nodded. "Then we'd all better hurry." He turned and left.

Kitsune sighed. "He's right. We need to hurry." She turned to Krad. "Those seals won't hold long."

"Can't we just leave him?" Dark asked. "If we push him into the broom closet and seal it up, I'm sure no one will notice."

Krad began struggling, his curses smothered by the gag of paper, his wings twitching, sending white feathers everywhere.

"Oh, stop it," Kitsune said. "_You_ can help carry him."

---

Somehow, between Dark's protestations, Daisuke's unsteadiness, and Kitsune's use of a paper fan, the group got upstairs, through the skylight, off the roof, out of the museum's courtyard unseen, across the park, and back to the trio's van. Somehow.

After that, it was merely a case of stuffing Krad into the back, and waiting.

Dark and Daisuke also waited inside the van, Dark for obvious notoriety reasons. But Daisuke was still a little shell shocked, so to speak, so Kitsune gave him a potion to help the youth relax.

While they waited, the three girls transformed back into their more normal looking selves.

"Okay, so. . .where do we go from here?" Ginryu asked.

"Home," Aiko said. "It's obvious we won't be able to trust Krad unbound, so we need stronger seals to make him behave. And we need to explain to the boys what happened back there—which I would also like to know—" She raised her eyebrows at Ginryu and Korazuma. "—And lastly, we need to talk to Yuuko and get the four of them back together, like they should be."

"'Cause that'll be easy," Akkiko said flatly.

"Of course."

"We also need to know what their story is," Tenshi said. "Why is it that Dark and Daisuke, that Krad and Satoshi, were bonded in the first place?"

"Excuse me." The three girls turned to see Satoshi leave the park and come across the street to meet them. "Are you ready?"

"More than," Aiko said, bringing the keys out of her pocket. "I'll drive."

That plan was squashed as they approached the van and Dark flung the door open.

"The seals are breaking!" he yelled, and they could see Daisuke in the background, looking very worried.

Aiko swore. "Never mind, I'll ride with the psycho."

"Then I'll drive!" Ginryu said cheerfully.

"_**NO**_." This exclamation from Aiko and Korazuma in perfect, deadpan unison. To underline this, Aiko tossed the keys to Korazuma, and Ginryu slid in beside Dark and Daisuke, pouting.

"Come on," Korazuma said to Satoshi. "Looks like I'm driving."

---

Korazuma drove fast, but calmly explained the idea of many worlds to Satoshi, who listened intently and without interrupting. However, her explanation was punctuated with much struggling and roars of outrage when Krad managed to get the seals to snap. This was followed by a "You're so bloody stubborn!" from Aiko, a crackle of electricity as she refastened the bonds, and a "Just let me club him on the head!" from Ginryu or Dark.

"So. . .that's about it," Korazuma said a while later, over the cursing coming from the back.

Satoshi nodded, pushing his glasses up the bridge of his nose. "So you're basically saying you're here. . .to stop this kind of thing from happening?" He gestured to the back.

Korazuma sweatdropped, laughing a little. "Yeah. . .well. . ."

"Ow. . .my pride. . ." Ginryu put in, wincing.

"That's it—SLEEP!" There was a brief flash of light before Aiko came into view over the seat, glaring. "Hiwatari-kun? Your other half _sucks_."

"I'm hardly responsible for that, Tatari-san."

"Well, whatever, now he's comatose. Are we there yet?"

"Yes, actually." Korazuma pulled into their parking stall, turned off the ignition, and then turned in her seat. "How do we proceed?"

"Here's what we're going to do," Aiko said. "Kora-chan will open up the front doors, make sure no one's in the lobby, and call the elevator. I'll make sure the damn wards hold on Mr. Violence. Gin-chan and the boys will carry him. Done."

"I am not carrying him again," Dark stated, crossing his arms.

"Come on, Dark," Daisuke said, "Why can't you just cooperate?"

"If I touch him again, he'll probably try to kill me."

"He's trying to kill you anyways," Korazuma said flatly.

Satoshi chuckled. "She has a point."

Dark glared at him. "I don't need your two cents, Hiwatari."

"Tone down the testosterone, Dark," Aiko snapped. The paper fan was out again. "And let's move it. Kora-chan—go!"

"Yes'm," Korazuma said, mock-saluting and slipping out of the van. She unlocked the front door, propping it open before racing in. A few seconds passed; those remaining at the van opened the back where Krad's still form lay, still trussed up. Dark grabbed his feet, Aiko and Gin his mid-section, Daisuke and Satoshi his shoulders.

Korazuma reappeared at the door, waving them over. The group crossed the deserted parking lot, and Korazuma closed the door as soon as they were inside the lobby.

That's when the problems started.

Satoshi paled more than usual, and his hands dropped away from Krad. Daisuke stumbled from the weight and looked up, a question on his face that turned to shock when he saw his classmate's face.

"Hiwatari-kun!" Everyone looked us as the youth backpedaled until he hit the wall, holding his head.

The elevator opened at that point, and a young couple walked out, laughing until they caught sight of the angel being carried by some very suspicious-looking teenagers, not to mention Phantom Thief Dark.

The woman opened her mouth to scream, and the man took a step forward, and Korazuma popped up in front of them. She held up a hand, and spoke a single word. Blowing across her palm, a white powder appeared out of nowhere and into the couple's faces. They fell to the ground.

Those still holding Krad let out a breath. Korazuma ran to where Satoshi was doubled over, still holding his head. "Hiwatari-kun, what's wrong?"

"He won't get out of my head—I thought you said we were separated!" Kora looked back at Krad, who was still unconscious.

"It's not that simple," Dark said in a low tone, setting Krad down with the rest. "Daisuke and I still have the connection. It's just grown faint. But it's still there."

Daisuke looked up at his other half, still not used to standing beside him. "But Satoshi never wanted the connection to Krad, so. . .this must be really hard for him to even now be chained together."

"No one likes a cage," Korazuma murmured, placing her hands on top of Satoshi's. "Gin-chan?" Ai-chan?" Her friends came over and stood on either side of the youth, placing one hand on his head and one on his back.

Dark motioned to Daisuke, and while the girls worked some sort of spell on Satoshi, the two of them went to the couple and propped them against the far wall. When they turned back, Aiko and Ginryu were crouched by Krad again, and Korazuma was leading Satoshi over, a hand on his back.

"We should have something to shut him out in the apartment," Kora was saying. Satoshi said nothing, his head down, hair shadowing his face.

"Well, to avoid anymore. . .incidents," Aiko said, "we'll go up with Krad first. Kora-chan, stay with Hiwatari-kun, okay?"

Kora nodded, and after everyone crowded in, the elevator doors closed. There was an awkward silence.

"You don't have to be ashamed," Korazuma blurted. She reddened as Satoshi looked at her, one eyebrow raised. "Um. . .I know how hard it is to have. . .a split personality."

He snorted. "Really."

"Yes." Her tone turned serious. "I am Korazuma Shido, and I am Tenshi. But at one time they were two different people." Satoshi stared at her. "It was the same for all of us."

---

Dark and Ginryu left Aiko and Daisuke to get Krad settled in the apartment and headed back to the elevator.

"Hey," Ginryu said, as Dark hit the "down" button. "Be nice to Hiwatari, okay?"

Dark looked at her, surprised. "Are you serious?"

She cocked an eyebrow at him, unimpressed. "I heard you, when we finished casting the spell, when you saw his face. You said, 'get over it' under your breath." She looked away. "You can cut him a break. He's trying to be as strong as he can, given the circumstances."

Dark shook his head. "It's not my fault that he never made peace with his other half. He's had to live with that connection all his life—it's no different now."

"Yes it is—now he feels free. He's broken away from what he's always wanted to reject. But deep down he knows that he and Krad will be one again—that's just the way things are in this world."

Dark sighed. "Why do you care, anyways?"

"Because we—the girls and I—we know what it's like to reject that other part of us." There was a long silence. "And we know what it's like to embrace it. That's how we got here; that's how we became who we are." Another silence. "So go easy on Hiwatari—you're lucky that Daisuke isn't like him."

The elevator dinged open, cutting off any reply Dark would have made. Korazuma and Satoshi nodded to them and the four returned to the apartment.

---

"Daisuke. Go sit down. You look ready to pass out," Aiko said firmly. The redhead had helped her carry Krad into her room, and was now standing beside her bed looking rather pale.

"But—"

"Go—wait for the others in the living room." Aiko pointed towards the door, one hand on her hip. Daisuke sighed, and went.

Aiko echoed his sigh, and turned to rummage through one of the many bookshelves that lined the walls of her room. She pulled an amulet out of a vase of stones and dried flowers and inspected it.

"Sorceress," came a hiss from the bed. Aiko smirked and turned. Krad was strapped down, stronger charms glittering faintly on the bonds. The white-wings did not look happy. "Release me, now."

"Say please." Aiko put the charm in her pocket and crossed the room to her dresser.

"What is that?"

"Something that will stop you from driving Hiwatari-kun crazy."

"You should not interfere with such things you do not understand."

Aiko lifted the mirror hanging on the wall and turned a derisive stare onto Krad. "You're a really clichéd character, you know that? Get some better lines." She turned away and walked out of the room, mirror in one hand.

"Sorceress!" The angry cry was cut off as she closed the door. She drew a rune on the surface with one finger, which flickered and faded as she walked into the living room.

Daisuke was on the couch, looking slightly alarmed. "He's awake?"

"Yes, but he won't be going anywhere until we say so." Aiko shot the youth a kind look. "So don't worry about him, okay?"

Daisuke nodded, relaxing slightly as the others came into the room. Ginryu locked the door before settling onto the couch beside Dark and Daisuke. Korazuma sat on the floor beside Satoshi, who was in an armchair. Aiko sat on the arm of the other armchair, the mirror propped up.

"Ready?" she asked, and drew another symbol on the mirror's surface. A mist blew within the glass before clearing to show a very attractive young woman with long black hair, wearing a fancy kimono and a mocking smile.

"What's up, kids?" Yuuko asked.

---

_A/N: okay, this just reached 11 pages, so I'm cutting this chapter in two Other half will hopefully be up within the week :crosses fingers:_

Disclaimer: All D.N.Angel characters are copyright to Yukiru Sugisaki. Yuuko (and any other xxxHOLiC characters) are copyright to CLAMP. Original characters are copyright to me.


	9. Wishes Left Ungranted

**Who is the Greatest Thief?**

**Chapter 9—Wishes Left Ungranted**

_(A/N: Part 2, peeps!!_

_This chapter is dedicated to Akkiko, and is part of her birthday present (her 18th birthday, which was a month ago) :gets shot: Happy 18th, kid!)_

_Note:::_

'_. . .' is Daisuke speaking to Dark OR Satoshi speaking to Krad_

_:. . .: is Dark speaking to Daisuke_

_/. . ./ is Krad speaking to Satoshi_

---

Aiko placed the mirror in the chair and sat in front of it. "Hi, Yuuko. We have a bit of a problem."

The witch transferred her gaze to the three men in the room. "Been meddling again?"

Aiko frowned. That was too close to what Krad had said. "No. It was an accident."

"Nothing is an accident. It is all—"

"Hitsuzen," the three girls spoke. The boys looked confused.

"We know, Yuuko," Ginryu said. "And it's also hitsuzen that we fix it. That's the only path we want to take."

"Well, if you've made your choice. . ." Yuuko shifted in her seat. "You have the object?"

Aiko took the Vase of Demeter and held it up to the mirror. It disintegrated into the surface and Yuuko inspected it.

"We need more information about how this thing works," Aiko said. "We know that its effects are only temporary, but—"

"The full story is rather complicated." Yuuko gave the vase to someone out of view. "Put it in the back room with the others, alright?"

A chorus of "Yes mistress," came and the group heard footsteps running away.

"Hang on," Dark said, "Who exactly are you?"

Yuuko smiled at him. "I am merely a shopkeeper at a very special store."

"She grants wishes," Ginryu said. "People who have a wish go to her and, for a certain price, will have it granted."

"What's the 'certain price'?" Daisuke asked.

"It depends on the wish," Yuuko said. Something about her turned serious, sinister. "It could be an object, or an action. Sometimes we ask for a soul."

"That's. . ." Dark stopped and sat back.

"What?" Tenshi asked.

"Never mind."

There was a pause, and Aiko turned back to the mirror. "So, what's the full story of the vase?"

Yuuko nodded. "It is from a distant time and world, one where humans were constantly being possessed by lesser demons trying to survive. Eventually the vase was created to counteract these situations.

"The possessed individual, usually a child, would be tied down and doused in the water. The demon would emerge and be cut down by waiting warriors." The witch leaned her head on her hand. "But circumstances were not always in the humans' favor. If the demon was powerful enough, it would escape."

"And then?" Ginryu asked. Everyone seemed to be holding their breath.

Yuuko closed her eyes. "The connection between the demon and the child was not completely severed by the waters' powers. If the demon escaped, and was not killed within a few days, it would return to possessing the child."

"Couldn't the people just use the vase again?" Dark asked, his face serious.

"No. The waters would work only once on an individual. In most cases, if the demon was not destroyed, it would possess the individual forever."

"So we just need to wait for a few days, and we'll be back to normal?" Daisuke asked.

"It may be longer, it may be shorter. You—" Yuuko transferred her gaze to Dark. "—and the other attached to you—" She glanced at Satoshi. "—are not demons. You are something very, very different."

"And how exactly does that work?" Ginryu asked, crossing her arms. She was also looking at Dark. "What are you?"

Dark shrugged. "Krad and I were created by the Hikari family, who were famous creators of artworks. We were once part of a whole being, but then something happened to make us split. I've been connected to the Niwa family for a long time. Krad's been connected to the Hikari family for an equal amount of time. Our existence has always been. . .complicated."

"Whose isn't?" Tenshi muttered.

"And fate has led you to this very point," Yuuko said. "There is nothing simple about this occurrence. What has happened is going to effect your world, in uncountable ways, until you are bonded again."

"And that will definitely happen?" Satoshi asked. Everyone stared at him; the youth had been silent for so long, they'd almost forgotten him.

Yuuko stared back at him for a moment. "Yes. That is the only path open for you right now."

"You say you grant wishes?"

Korazuma, Aiko and Ginryu looked away. They had seen this coming.

Yuuko shook her head. "I know your wish, Satoshi Hikari." He stiffened at the name. Dark also looked away at this point. "And you are not capable of paying the price."

"I see." Satoshi stood. "Excuse me." He strode out of the apartment.

Aiko turned back to the mirror, faking cheer. "Well, thanks, Yuuko, that was very helpful."

"I suggest you keep an eye on the four until they are bonded again," the witch said.

"Right. Anything else?"

Yuuko frowned slightly. "You three girls do not have an easy path ahead of you. Use caution." She smiled her mocking smile again. "I will have a new job for you in a day or two, to pay for the information I have given tonight."

"Right—a price for everything," Korazuma said, smiling slightly. "We'll hear from you later, then."

Yuuko nodded, and mist filled the mirror again before reflecting the living room. Aiko turned.

"Go give this to Hiwatari-kun," she said, throwing the charm at Kora. "And bring him back in here so we can plan."

"Why me?"

"'Cause you fancy him."

Dark made a choking noise. Ginryu and Aiko laughed. Kora blushed and left the room rather quickly.

---

_/Satoshi. . .you must come and release me./_

_:NO.:_

_/Satoshi. . .we must seize upon this opportunity./_

_:No. This game is on my terms!:_

_/Do you really still believe that?/_

"Hiwatari-kun?" Satoshi looked up to see Korazuma approach. "We're, ah, talking about what to do with you." Huh. That had sounded much better in head.

"Right." Satoshi pushed off the wall and looked at the hand she offered. In it was a small fetish on a chain. "And that is?"

"It will help with the voices in your head." Kat stared at him, completely serious. Satoshi snorted, a smile cracking his cool exterior. Kora smiled back, though hers faded when he walked past her.

"Thank-you, but I don't want it."

"Satoshi." Kora turned as he paused, still holding out the charm. "It will help."

Satoshi shook his head slightly. "Why should I get used to it?" He went back into the apartment. A sobered Kora followed him.

"So where do we go from here?" Ginryu asked, looking at Aiko.

"Why are you asking me?"

"'Cause you're the leader. I'm the joker, and Kora's the annoying conscience that angsts when we don't listen to her."

"Screw you, Gin." Korazuma flopped into an armchair. "Yuuko said to keep an eye on Satoshi, Daisuke, Dark and Krad. It's smart advice; we don't know what will happen when they. . .reabsorb each other."

Dark snickered. "Nice way of putting it."

Kora shrugged, smiling. "I thought it was good as any."

"So we have two options," Aiko said cheerfully. "Either keep them all prisoner here indefinitely, or we three split up and let them go home. Except for the psycho—" She gestured to her room. "—He can stay safely tied up here."

"I don't like the thought of staying here indefinitely," Satoshi offered, a wry smile on his face.

"I second that," Daisuke said. "I think my mom would freak."

"And then she'd come armed to the teeth to rescue you," Dark muttered.

"Ah, okay then. We'll let you go home," Aiko said, sweatdropping. "Dibs out dealing with Dai's mother."

"Dibs out," Kora seconded.

"Dibs—dammit." Ginryu facepalmed. "Fine. Lemme get a bag together." She tromped off to her room.

Korazuma turned a bland gaze to Aiko. "I'm not staying with the psycho. No offense, Hiwatari-kun."

"None taken."

Aiko sighed. "Well, since he's already in my room. . .fine. I don't want to go in there anyways. So you can go home with Hiwatari-kun." She smiled.

"Fine." Korazuma stood and went to pack her own bag.

Satoshi shook his head. "This isn't necessary."

Aiko narrowed her eyes. "Yes. It is. If Krad. . .reabsorbs, or whatever, into you tonight, you could be knocked unconscious. Or he could take over, and from what I've seen, that's something we want to avoid. He's already hurt Kora-chan—" Satoshi winced. "—I don't want to see what happens if he goes after Dark and Daisuke."

"Nor do I," Satoshi muttered.

There was an awkward pause. Dark stood. "Well. . .this has been an interesting night. Thanks for that."

Aiko stuck her tongue out at him. "I don't know if you're being sarcastic, so I'll just say 'you're welcome'."

Ginryu came out of her room carrying a backpack. "Okay guys, let's go." She, Dark and Daisuke moved towards the door.

"Hold it." Korazuma emerged from her room, bookbag swinging. "You're not driving. I'll drop you three off." She nodded to Satoshi, who followed her out the door.

"Aww, you are no fun—" Ginryu's whine was cut off as the five of them exited the apartment.

As the door slammed, Aiko looked over at her closed bedroom door. It was silent, for now. She sighed.

"This is going to be a long night."

---

_(A/N: Yay! Finished! (and in less than 24 hours!) This is amazing!_

_So the next three chapters are going to be about the evening's events, each from the point of view of one of the girls. What surprises could be lurking in the shadows:cackles: What fun, what fun!)_

_Disclaimer: All D.N.Angel characters are copyright to Yukiru Sugisaki. Yuuko (and any other xxxHOLiC characters) are copyright to CLAMP. Original characters are copyright to me._


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